Home is Where the Heart Is
by Rachel9
Summary: FINISHED!AU B/S: Buffy Summers is having the time of her life. She's dating Los Angeles' most wanted bachelor & her art gallery is at the height of its popularity. When Angel O'Connor proposes, there's only 1 problem: She's still married to William Giles!
1. Chapter 1

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Home is Where the Heart Is

By *~Rachel*~

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, UPN, Sandollar Television, and Mutant Enemy own BtVS. No copyright infringements were intended. This is my story and not meant to copy the show. 

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Rating: PG-13 so far

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Summary: Buffy Anne Summers is having the time of her life. She's dating Los Angeles' most popular and wanted bachelor, her art gallery is at the height of its popularity, and she loves being in the public eye. When Angel O'Connor proposes, there's only one problem: She's still married to William Giles! (Loosely based on "Sweet Home Alabama.")

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Spoilers: NONE! This is completely an AU story...something I've never done before, but figured I'd take a chance and see how things went.

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Author's Notes: *________* Signifies stressed words. Scenes in bold are flashbacks. Thoughts will be in italics. All the street names and business are completely made up since I've never been to LA. 

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Distribution: My site, Sinister Attraction, the groups I'm sending them out to, and....anyone else, just as long as they ASK first!

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Feedback? OF COURSE! This is the first time I've ever written a fic set in an alternate universe, and I'd really love to know what you all think about it!

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And Finally: Everything related to "Sweet Home, Alabama" belongs to the rightful owners, not me (since I re-use some lines and the general theme in this story.) I haven't seen the movie *yet* but plan on it eventually when I get some free time, so right now, everything is purely based on the promos that I've seen and word of mouth.

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Elizabeth Anne Summers, known as Buffy to all her co-workers and friends, sat at the front desk of her art gallery, busily typing away at the computer. She banged away at the keys, groaning when the computer suddenly froze. _Buffy and computers are definitely un-mixy things,_ she thought to herself. 

Even after almost two years, she was still amazed at the popularity of her art gallery. Her mother had run the gallery years ago before her untimely death. When her mother died, Buffy decided to continue maintaining the business by herself. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that she would end up in Los Angeles where her gallery was one of the most successful individually owned businesses in the area.

Buffy pressed a few keys, hoping that the computer wouldn't act up anymore. But instead of re-booting, the computer popped up with a bright blue screen with symbols and words that were completely alien to her. She groaned again, wondering why she had decided to start filing away the entire store records on the computer.

"Problems?" a voice called out behind her.

Buffy spun her chair around to look at her friend. "I think our computer is possessed," she explained. 

Willow Rosenberg chuckled at her friend's stupefied expression_. Buffy may be an expert with most things, but computers are definitely not one of them, _Willow thought. "It's not that hard," she said.

"Says the computer genius," Buffy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes slightly. She and Willow had been friends since high school. They had accidentally bumped into each other in the hallway on the first day of their sophomore year of high school, and before long, the two were best friends. When Buffy moved to Los Angeles to run the then-new gallery, Willow was coincidentally moving to LA in order to pursue her Ph.D. in computer science at UCLA. While Buffy was mostly in charge of everything, Willow helped out from time to time.

"Here, let me show you," Willow said, laying the folders that were in her hands on a table. She walked over to the desk and hit a few buttons at the same time. Immediately, the computer screen went black before restarting into Windows. "See?"

"You're so good at all this stuff," Buffy complained, "Why can't *I* be good at this stuff?"

Willow shrugged. "I try my best." She leaned up against the side of Buffy's desk and smiled at her friend.

"Thanks," the blonde-haired women said gratefully. She watched the computer screen, waiting for everything to load as she nervously fiddled with the rings on her hand. Unconsciously, she twirled a simple, yet elegant, gold ring with a bright red stone in the middle of it, around her ring finger. 

Willow looked glanced down at Buffy's movements and shook her head. "I know I ask this all the time, but...how long are you going to keep that thing?" she wondered.

"What? What thing?"

"_That _thing," Willow repeated, bobbing her head towards Buffy's hand. 

Immediately, Buffy dropped her hands into her lap, becoming still. "I don't know..." A flash went through her mind...

__

...A tall, lean man spinning her around in the air before setting her back on her feet and pulling something out of his pocket...

No, I will not _think about that anymore,_ Buffy thought immediately, pushing the memories to the back of her mind. 

"Buffy, it's been almost two years," Willow reminded her, as if her friend had forgotten.

"You think I don't know that?" she asked her friend, looking at her seriously. A few moments of silence passed between the two women, neither wanting to speak up and continue the conversation. 

Finally, Willow spoke, "So...how are you and Angel?" Her tone was uncaring, but she knew that Buffy would be happy that her friend cared enough to at least ask.

__

Angel...

Angel O'Connor was LA's most wanted bachelor....Hell, he was the most wanted man on the whole West Coast. His starring roles in "The Tempted" and "Life Without Love" had put him in the number one spot on the Hollywood hit-list and number one in every woman's heart. His personality was charming, and his smile lit up the room. The one word to describe him would have to be "charismatic." Buffy had only been living in LA for a couple months when she accidentally ran into him, and it wasn't long before the two had started dating. 

A large smile spread across Buffy's features. "Oh, Angel and I are doing well." She knew that Willow wasn't fond of her boyfriend, so she decided to keep the conversation short and to the point. "He and I are going shopping this evening to buy his mother a present."

"What for?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Buffy moaned. "The man is a multi-millionaire, Will. I don't think he really needs an excuse to go out and by his mother a gift." 

Somewhere in one of the back rooms, the shrill tone of a telephone started ringing. "I better go get that," Willow said, rising to her full height. "I've got a class this afternoon at three-thirty, so am I free to leave around three o'clock?"

"Of course, Will," Buffy said. "You do too much around here, anyway."

"Thanks." Willow turned on her heel and walked back to scoop up her papers before heading down the hallway from which she'd emerged earlier.

Buffy heard the bell jingle on the front door and raised her head to see who had entered the front door. "Speaking of Angel...," she muttered under her breath, standing and coming out from behind the desk. 

"Hey honey!" Buffy greeted, hurrying up to Angel, wrapping her arms around his waist. She raised her head and quickly pressed her lips against his.

"G'morning, Buffy," Angel responded, smiling down at her. Angel removed his baseball cap and sunglasses, his usual dress code for hiding his identity, and ran his fingers through his hair. The two moved further into the main room and away from the door, as Angel asked how her morning was going.

"My morning is officially great!" Buffy affirmed, "You're here!"

"Well, I can't stay long, I have to get back to the set in about fifteen minutes or so," Angel informed her. "I'm working on some scenes for 'Confronting the Sun' right now."

"Then, what's the reason for the surprise visit?"

"I just wanted to double check and make sure that we still had plans to go out to eat and go shopping for my mother tonight," Angel said. 

"Of course, we talked about that yesterday afternoon."

"All right, I just wanted to make sure." Angel glanced down at his watch. "Damn, by the time I get back there, it'll be time to re-shoot this scene."

"But you just got here," Buffy grumbled, sticking out her lower lip.

"Sorry, Buff, but it's an important scene. We've got the whole evening together though," Angel said, the corners of his lips rising in a quick smile. He just loved it when she complained like that. "I'll come by and pick you up around five-thirty, okay?"

"That's fine."

Angel leaned down and kissed her gently, dragging his hand down the side of her arm and using the other hand to caress her cheek. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

Buffy looked up at him, repeating the phrase with a smile on her face.

"I'll see you later tonight," Angel said, turning back around and walking out the door.

"Bye!" she called out to him, watching his form retreat from where she stood. For about the ten-thousandth time, Buffy thanked the higher powers that she had run into Angel O'Connor -- literally.

~~~

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Buffy Summers was frantically striding through the crowded streets trying to reach the gallery. She had only been living in Los Angeles for about two months, and occasionally, she still managed to get herself turned around. The high-speed rhythm of the city was still new to her, and Buffy had problems keeping up with everyone else.

With a Starbucks Frappauchino in one hand and her folder of business cards, her client list, and other various papers in the other, she half-ran, half-walked down the main street, peering up at the signs. "Okay...where am I?" Buffy asked herself. "Okay...Sunhill Lane...43rd Street..." She kept looking up at the many different signs, not concentrating on the sidewalk ahead of her. "Brandermill -- OH!" Buffy suddenly collided into a hard figure in front of her. Her left hand slipped, dumping her Frappauchino out of the cup. Her other hand opened and she dropped her folder on the sidewalk. "Oh crap," she said under her breath. "I am *so* sorry!" she said, dropping the paper cup. She looked up at the man standing before her and her face rapidly paled. "Oh god..."

Angel O'Connor stood in front of her, looking down at his white shirt that was now covered with coffee. 

"Oh my god," Buffy said under her breath when she realized what she had done. Here she was, facing Angel O'Connor, the world's current most popular actor, and she had spilled her icy coffee all over him! "I-I am so sorry," she apologized.

Angel rasied his head slightly to look at the small blonde standing in front of him. Her eyes were wide, partly out of shock and embarrassment at what she had done. He smiled quickly before saying, "It's okay. I never really liked this shirt anyway."

Buffy fought the urge to faint in front of him when he spoke. "Mr...Mr. O'Connor, I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was walking, and-"

"It's all right," Angel interrupted. He looked down and buttoned up his jacket, covering the stained white shirt. "See? All better. I'll just change when I get over to the set."

"Set?" Buffy couldn't help asking.

"The set for 'Life Without Love,'" Angel explained. "That's what I'm working on right now." He glanced down on the floor and saw that Buffy's papers had flown everywhere when the two collided. "Here, let me get these for you." 

Together, the two bent down on their knees and started picking things up. "Really, you don't have to," Buffy said. "It was my stupidity. I always get turned around here."

"So you're new to LA?" Angel asked, looking across at the woman. He gazed into eyes and thought about how beautiful they were. _Hell, everything is beautiful about this woman_, Angel thought to himself.

"Not really," Buffy admitted. "I'm just having some problems getting used to everything." She stood up, and Angel copied her motion. Buffy peeked down at her watch, and her eyes bulged. "I have to get to work; I'm already late," Buffy fretted. "I am *really* sorry," she repeated.  
  
"It's all right," Angel assured her again. "Wait...I didn't catch your name."  
  
"It's Buffy...Buffy Summers," she told him. "And I am *very* sorry, Mr. O'Connor." She gave him a small smile before turning the corner and rushing away.   
  
Angel glanced around at the pavement to see if she had left anything. He wanted...no, needed to see this girl again. He wanted to know more about her. Angel bent down and picked up a small pile of business cards that lay on the cement. "Buffy Summers...," he read, "Owner of Summers' Gallery, 4203 Rueland Drive."  


~~~

  
  
A new, freshly-brewed Cappuccino was in Buffy's left hand as she pushed the door open with her side. "Sorry I'm so late, Will," Buffy said as she walked through the door. Willow stood at her desk, waiting for her friend to arrive. "But oh my God, you will not believe who I ran into! Like...*literally* ran into."  
  
"Uh...," Willow started.   
  
"What?" Buffy asked. Taking a closer look at her friend, Buffy noticed just how pale Willow was. "Willow, what's up?" _She looks like she's in shock, _Buffy told herself.  
  
Willow slowly spoke, as if she was having trouble forming the words. "I think I know who you ran into."   
  
"Really? How?"  
  
"Because he's inside the back storage room, looking around at the pieces of artwork right now."  
  
"Oh God...Angel O'Connor?" Buffy questioned, her eyes widening.  
  
"The one and only," Willow stated. "What did you do to him, Buffy? He's got this huge coffee stain on his shirt and this dazed expression on his face."  
  
"I spilled my coffee all over him on the way to work this morning," Buffy explained to her friend.   
  
Willow held back a chuckle, not surprised that Buffy had done something like that. "Smooth going, Miss Summers." She smiled at her friend before recommending, "Why don't you go back there and say hi?"  
  
"Great, let's just add to the embarrassment," Buffy muttered under her breath as she placed her coffee and files on the front desk. She slowly headed back to the first storage room and watched as Angel studied some of the pieces of artwork. "Hey," she said.  
  
"Miss Summers, hi," Angel greeted  
  
"Call me Buffy, please," she said, approaching Angel and extending her hand. "I don't have any coffee this time, I promise. I left it up in the main room."  
  
Angel shook it and smiled down at her. "Angel...Angel O'Connor, but I guess you already knew that."  
  
The two took a step back from each other as they remained motionless in silence for a moment before Buffy asked, "How did you find me?"  
  
"You forgot to pick up some of your business cards," Angel explained, holding one out in front of her.   
  
"Oh...then what are you doing here?" Buffy wondered. "I thought you said that you had to go shoot some scenes or something?"  
  
"Well, that's basically just my excuse to get off the streets easily. I don't like walking around without sunglasses or something. People usually figure out who I am pretty quickly," Angel clarified.  
  
"And why would that be?" Buffy asked, a smirk on her features. "It couldn't possibly be that you're the most popular man in the movie-business right now?"  
  
"I'm still a normal guy...I like the LA Lakers, hang out with my friends as much as possible, love to eat all the junk food I can possibly get my hands on, and...," Angel paused, taking a step closer to her, "am hoping that you'll say 'yes' if I ask you to have dinner with me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Buffy, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to eat on Friday night?" Angel asked a second time.  
  
"Why?" _What could a popular and handsome man want with me?_ she thought to herself.  
  
"What can I say? I'm captivated by you, and it's not just because I got a mug of coffee spilled all over me," Angel said, smiling as Buffy blushed in embarrassment. "Look, I'd love to take you out to eat to get to know you some more."  
  
Buffy hadn't been on a date since...well, it had been a long time since she had ever been out with a man. "Friday, you said?"  
  
Angel nodded. "If I can get your address, I'll pick you up around five o'clock."  
  
Buffy grinned and shook her head. "I think you have yourself a deal Mr. O'Connor."  
  
  
~~~

  
  
Buffy and Angel exited La Musique, a fancy French restaurant, five minutes ago. Angel extended his arm to her, and Buffy wrapped her arm around his, smiling before raising her head and meeting Angel's lips with her own.  
  
A couple of cameras flashed as the two kissed No doubt, some members of the press had managed to hunt them down. Angel had some security men watching over the two of them several feet away, just in case any out of control fans approached them. Usually Angel and Buffy didn't mind any fans coming up to them; however, tonight, Angel had strict orders to keep the fans away from them.  
  
"Where are we going to get your mother a gift?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Angel responded. "Where do you think we should look?"  
  
"What are you looking for?"   
  
"Again, I'm not too sure," Angel repeated. "Just...whatever pops out at me." He guided Buffy down the sidewalk and turned the corner. "How about in here?"  
  
"But Angel...this is La Padras," Buffy protested. La Padras was the most expensive jeweler on the West Coast. However, they didn't sell ordinary jewelry; they specialized in diamond engagement rings.  
  
"I know," Angel replied, opening the door for her. The two stepped inside a bare and empty store. With the exception of the actual sales people who worked there, the store was barren. A few seconds after Buffy and Angel entered the room, two of Angel's security guards appeared through the doors, blocking the entrance from any press or fans.  
  
Angel led Buffy into the middle of the store before turning around and facing her. "Angel?" Buffy asked, confusion clear in her tone.  
  
"Buffy...," Angel started, gazing down at her. He grabbed her hands and lightly squeezed them. "I...I lied to you. We aren't exactly here to look for a present for my mother." He looked down to the floor before dropping to one knee.  
  
"Oh my God," Buffy said, her mouth gaping wide open.  
  
"Buffy Anne Summers...will you marry me?" Angel asked, peering shyly at her with a hopeful smile on her face.  
  
"Angel...oh my *god*," Buffy said again. "Are you serious?"  
  
"I've never been more serious in my life," Angel admitted. "Please say yes."   
  
Buffy's eyes welled with tears. "Yes, of course, it's yes!" Buffy exclaimed, pulling Angel to his feet and kissing him soundly. She stepped back and smiled up at him. "Which ring is mine?"  
  
Angel led her over to a cabinet where some of the biggest rings were placed. "Pick any ring you want," he encouraged.   
  
Buffy scanned through the cases of rings for several moments before one of them especially caught her eye. The ring was gold with a large one-carat diamond in the middle and a circle of smaller diamonds surrounding it. "This one," she declared, with a large smile on her face.  
  
The salesperson approached Buffy and Angel. "You heard her. The lady wants this one," Angel said, pointing through the glass.  
  
"Ah, excellent choice, ma'am," the salesperson said calmly. "Would you like to try it on first? It may fit on your ring finger without having to make any adjustments."  
  
"That's fine," Buffy said, holding out her left hand.   
  
The salesperson took her hand and looked at her ring finger. "Miss Summers? Would you like me to remove the ring that's currently on your ring finger or would you like to remove it yourself?"  
  
That's when Buffy glanced down at her hand, remembering that she still wore that damn ring. She slowly raised her hand to stare at the gold ring that lay on her left hand. Angel O'Connor had asked her to marry him; something she never imagined possible.   
  
But that's also when she remembered the problem...*her* one problem.  
  
William Giles.  
  
~~~

TBC...

This is the first time I've EVER written anything like this, and I only have a semi-clear idea of what I really want to do. I'll try to get the next part out as soon as possible, but I really want this story to be the best that it can be. 

If you've got any comments, thoughts, or anything else, feel free to let me know.

Thanks!  


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	2. Chapter 2

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Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 2

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Remember: scenes in bold are flashbacks.

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"Hey Buffster!" Xander Harris yelled out down the hallway.  
  
"Xander! Hi!" Buffy replied, walking up to her friend and giving him a quick hug. "Have you heard the news? We've got a new transfer student this year," she added, motioning him to walk with her. They were in their senior year at Sunnydale High School, and getting new students unexpectedly was rare for Sunnyhell, as the students jokingly called their school, since it was such a bore.  
  
"Really? Who?"  
  
"I don't know...his father is the new librarian. That's all I've heard so far," Buffy explained. "Come on, we've got to find Willow."  
  
The two wandered down a hallway with their books in hand, searching for their shy, redheaded friend. "Willow!" Buffy called when she finally saw her, waving her hand in the air. "Hey!"   
  
"Hi, guys," Willow greeted.  
  
"Willow, my bestest bud," Xander said enthusiastically, giving her a tight hug.   
  
"Have you met the new kid yet?" Buffy quickly asked, curious to find out anything about him that she could.  
  
"No, but I met his father," Willow reported. "His name is Rupert Giles. He hails from somewhere in England...I think Bath? I don't know, but anyway...he's got all these neat books and artifacts in there from his personal collection, and-"  
  
"Wow, Willow. Unfortunately, I guess that summer hasn't changed you," Cordelia said smugly, walking up to the trio with the Cordettes right behind her. "But I guess it's nice to know that you still are the same bookworm and nerd...or...book-nerd."  
  
"Cordelia Chase," Xander drawled, "Boy, did I miss you over the summer." His tone was dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Yeah?" Cordelia questioned, raising her eyebrows. "Let me think...do I care? Do I care? No, I really don't." Cordelia, satisfied with her insults, turned around to face her companions. "Come on, ladies, let's go." Cordelia led her friends away from the small group as Buffy and Willow rolled their eyes.  
  
"Well, she hasn't changed a bit," Buffy stated.  
  
"Did we honestly think she would?" Willow asked at her friends.   
  
The three looked at each other for a second before collectively saying, "No!" and bursting into laughter that echoed down the hallway.   
  
  
~~~

  
  
Xander trudged into history class and sat down in a seat in the back row. Neither Willow or Buffy had this class, so the entire year in World History was sure to be boring. Oh well...at least he would have plenty of time to take a nap.  
  
He silently watched the students walk through the doorway when he suddenly saw a somewhat tall, lean man walk through the doorway. He carried a couple binders in his hand and was dressed in all black with a long black, leather duster that completed the outfit. His hair was bleached a light blonde, almost white, and there was a smug expression on his face.  
  
Xander straightened up as the man walked across the room, choosing the seat that was next to him. "Hey," Xander greeted.  
  
"Hey," he replied, looking him over.  
  
"I'm Xander...Xander Harris," he added.  
  
"The name's Spike." His voice had a thick accent that was unmistakably British.  
  
"Ohh, so you're the new student!" Xander slowly said.  
  
"I guess so...my dad is the librarian here," Spike explained before sighing loudly. "Although, it beats me why anyone in their right mind would want to move to Sunnydale, California."  
  
"Yeah, and I won't be the last one to tell you that this one-Starbucks-town is pretty boring," Xander admitted. "The only thing we've really got going on around here is The Bronze."  
  
"The Bronze?"  
  
"A club for people our age. They've got some good bands that play there occasionally," Xander clarified. "Will's boyfriend plays there sometime."  
  
"Will, huh?" Spike asked, raising a scarred eyebrow in question. "Does he have this class now too?"  
  
"Willow!" he corrected, placing emphasis on the last part of her name. "Willow Rosenberg, she's my best friend. Oz plays with the Dingoes, and sometimes they have some gigs at the Bronze."  
  
The teacher walked into the room, lifting her hands to signal the class to quiet down. "Okay class, we're going to get started as soon as I call out the roll." She looked down at her list and called out names. "Ah, I see we have our new student in this class. William? William Giles?"  
  
Spike loudly groaned and raised his hand in the air before quickly dropping it back in his lap. "The name is Spike...be sure you remember that for next time, you got that?" The teacher gave him a serious "warning" look before continuing with the roll.  
  
Xander chuckled and glanced at the British man beside him. 

Suddenly, this class didn't look so boring after all.  
  
  
~~~

  
  
After history, Spike and Xander strode into the cafeteria for lunch. Immediately, Xander turned and started towards Buffy, Willow, and Oz who were all sitting together at a table. Spike followed behind him, unsure of where they were going. "Hey guys!" Xander called out. "Look what I found." The three stopped eating and looked up at Spike with eyebrows raised. "Everyone, this is Spike Giles."  
  
"Hey man," Oz greeted in his usual taciturn way as he raised his hand in a short wave.

"Spike's in my history class," Xander explained, sliding into a chair beside Buffy. "Man, you should have seen the look on Mrs. Wilson's face when Spike corrected her about his name."  
  
Spike gazed around the table, his eyes automatically landing on the small blonde that was sipping her canned drink. _Bloody hell_, he thought, his stomach doing flips. "You must be Buffy," he acknowledged. Spike had never seen a more beautiful girl than the one that was sitting in front of him. He managed to take his eyes off her long enough to look at the redhead who sat beside her. "And I'm guessing that you're Willow?"  
  
"You guessed right, mister!" Willow replied, beaming happily. "I met your father today. He's very nice."  
  
"My father is all right. He's just bloody mad for dragging me halfway across the world to this hell-hole," Spike complained.  
  
Spike pulled up a chair and sat between Xander and Buffy. Buffy stared across at Spike with an unreadable expression on her face. "Ever heard of living in the now?" she asked, her eyes running up and down Spike's outfit. "The Billy Idol look is *so* over."  
  
"Aww, pet, I'm hurt," Spike sarcastically moaned, placing his hand over his heart before smirking across at her. "How about you, love? Ever heard of proper hair maintenance?"  
  
Buffy ran her fingers through her hair and frowned. "My hair is fine. It's perfect, in fact." Immediately, she disliked the peroxide blonde. "Anyway, you're one to talk about hair maintenance. What did you do? Dump a quart of bleach on your head?"

Spike scowled and rolled his eyes, but inwardly he was jumping up and down. _This girl's got spunk, _he thought. _Oh yeah, this is going to be a bloody great year._  
  
Meanwhile, halfway across the cafeteria, Cordelia Chase stood with her lunch tray in her hands and a look of awe on her face. _Careful Cordy, _she warned herself, _let's not drool in public, now_. 

Anya, Harmony, and Thalia stood beside her, and they were obviously gazing at the same thing -- Spike. "Ohh...hello salty goodness," Cordelia said, licking her dry lips. "Now, I don't normally go for the whole 'bad boy' look but *that* one...good god." 

"Oh, I know," Harmony added. "He's in my algebra class, and -"

"Hey," Cordelia interrupted. She narrowed her eyes at Harmony before continuing. "Was it just me, or was I *not* talking?" When no one replied, she turned her head back towards Spike. Very quickly, Cordelia frowned as she fully realized whom he was sitting with, especially who sat at his left and right. "Now, all we have to do is get him away from that circle of freaks."  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Two days had passed since Angel proposed and she accepted. The ring Buffy had chosen had been sized down to fit her hand and now rested on her ring finger. However, Buffy still continued to wear the ruby and gold ring; it had just been placed on the opposite hand. For some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to throw it away.

Buffy groaned, massaging her forehead with her fingers. Already, she could feel a headache quickly approaching. Damn, of all the crazy things she had never gotten around to doing or held off until the last moment, this had to be one of them!  


Buffy's problem was that her divorce with Spike had never been legally settled. No, she had left him without any legalities being settled between the two of them. Besides, the two wouldn't have been able to afford a legal divorce anyway since neither of them was very financially secure two years ago. *Now* Buffy could afford the costs of a lawyer just fine; in fact, she had the divorce papers already made up. All she needed was Spike's signature to make the forms complete.

But in order to get his signature, . . . 

__

I'd have to see him face to face, Buffy thought to herself, inwardly groaning. 

Call her a coward, but that was just something that Buffy never brought herself to do. That would mean reopening those wounds...all those wounds that she had tightly closed and carefully hidden away from Angel and anyone else that saw her today. Willow was the only one who actually knew what had happened between Spike and she, which was the main reason Willow didn't like Angel and why she kept asking about Buffy's old ring.

Sure, Angel was the complete opposite of Spike...tall and bulky as opposed to being closer to her height and lean. He was a brunette while Spike had been bleached blonde. Spike would have never been caught dead wearing a thousand dollar Gucci tuxedo where as Angel had twenty of them in his closet. Spike chose sarcasm, while Angel chose wit and class. Buffy wanted to be with Angel now; she was sure of that. 

The two had been dating for many months now, and she was positive that she was madly in love with him. If she viewed her situation that way, Buffy knew that she should have no problem marching down to Sunnydale and asking Spike to sign the papers.

So what did that mean?

"Damn," she cursed under her breath. "I guess that means I'm headed back to ol' Sunnyhell."

~~~

TBC...  


  
  
  


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	3. Chapter 3

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Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 3

By Rachel

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

There is some B/A in this part...don't worry, I promise you that this IS a B/S story! I just want to make sure that I cover everything...it's a long ride (Both in the present AND past), but it'll be worth it!

Also...since I forgot to do so until now, let me give a big THANK YOU to Sandy for being such a great beta-reader! 

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"Hello?"

Buffy spoke into her cordless phone as she paced back and forth around her bedroom. "Angel, hi!" She walked over and dragged her suitcase out of the closet before throwing it onto her bed. "How are you?"

"I'm pretty good," Angel responded.

"How is the movie going?" Buffy asked him. This was Angel's most demanding role in a movie yet, and he sometimes spent eighteen hours on the set at a time. Because of his long hours, Buffy rarely got to see him. Angel told her that the scenes they were shooting were fairly basic and that everything was going smoothly. "I was actually hoping to catch you in between filming," Buffy began to explain.

"You called at a good time, then," Angel replied. "We're taking a break. I think that Faith is having a bad day. She can't get into character, and the director keeps having to re-shoot the scenes."

Buffy smiled and snickered softly. "Not like you ever had any problems with that, right?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm in her tone as she thought back to all the times that she had helped Angel run over his lines in "Life Without Love" when he couldn't understand the main character's motives and reasons.

Angel chuckled to himself before asking, "So, what's the reason for the surprise call, baby?"

Buffy stopped proceeding through the room and took a deep breath. She had mentally prepared herself before calling Angel and had halfway worked out what she was going to tell him. Obviously, she couldn't just say "I'm still married to this British, Billy Idol look-a-like named Spike, so I need to go to Sunnydale and make him sign some divorce papers!" and expect him to be all right with that. 

Unfortunately, as soon as she heard his question, she had forgotten everything that she had planned out. "Uh...well..." Buffy paused to clear her throat before continuing. "I figured that since you're busy filming the movie, I could take some time off and visit some friends and tell them the good news." Well, her story wasn't exactly a full-out lie; she was hoping to visit Xander and Mr. Giles while she was in Sunnydale, and she still considered them to be friends.

"That's a great idea, Buff," Angel immediately agreed, glad that she had found a way to spend some time since he was concentrating on his role in the movie. "How long do you think you might be?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders even though Angel couldn't see her. "I'm not too sure. A week, maybe? I can stay for a shorter amount of time than that, or-"

"Take your time, honey," Angel interrupted. "We've still got plenty to do, here, so it's no rush."

"I figure that the sooner I get down there, the sooner I can get back," Buffy pointed out. _And be able to legally marry you,_ she silently added to herself. "So I was planning on leaving this afternoon after I deal with the gallery."

"That's fine, Buffy," he assured her. "Just call me if you need anything, okay?"

"You got it."

"And when we get back? Maybe we can at least start looking into our wedding," Angel added. "You know...where we could have it, what we'd have, those types of things."

Although Buffy thought she should have been excited by Angel's plans, all she really felt was a big pit in her stomach. "Great!" she said, forcing out the enthusiasm. 

In the background of her conversation with Angel, she heard someone yell out, "O'Connor! Your scene is up!" in the background.

"I guess that means that-"

"Yeah, I have to get back to work," Angel said apologetically. "I'll call you tonight or tomorrow to make sure you get there okay, all right?"

"All right," Buffy affirmed. 

"I love you," Angel quickly said.

Buffy repeated the words into the receiver before turning off the phone. She let the phone rest in her hand a minute or two before turning it back on again and dialing a different number.

"Hello?" a voice asked three rings later.

"Hi, Willow!!" Buffy greeted her friend on the telephone. "How are you? Are classes going all right?"

"My classes are going fine, Buffy," Willow replied. "I've got a few papers to write up and some notes to study for an eventual test, but-"

"But nothing that a computer genius like yourself can't figure out," Buffy teased.

"Exactly." Buffy didn't need to see Willow to know that her friend was smiling; she could hear it in her tone of voice. 

"Look, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor," Buffy began.

"Depends on what the favor is," Willow immediately answered. 

"Well, I was wondering if you could watch over the gallery for a few days. Maybe you could get Oz and Tara to help you out while you've got classes or something like that," Buffy suggested. "I'm...uh, going out of town for a few days."

"I guess I could work that into my schedule," Willow started. "I don't have any classes tomorrow or Thursday, so I could work full time those two days at least."

"Willow, you are a savior," Buffy sighed. 

"I know, I know," she joked. "But honestly, why do you need me to watch over the gallery? Where are you going?"

Buffy paused before blurting out, "Sunnydale."

"What?!" Willow cried out loudly. "Why?"

"Uh...it's a long story," Buffy said, hoping that Willow wouldn't guess.

"Oh, Jesus, he asked you to marry him, didn't he?"

__

Damn Willow and her insight, Buffy thought. She rolled her eyes before answering, "Yes, Angel asked me to marry him." She pasued, before adding, "And I said *yes*."

Now Willow got a turn at rolling her eyes. "So let me guess...you need to go down to Sunnydale because Spike is there, and you need him to sign some divorce papers, right?" She didn't even wait for Buffy to answer before questioning, "Does Angel know about this?"

Again, Buffy paused, wondering just how much she should tell her friend. "I-kinda-didn't-really-tell-him-about-Spike-and-the-much-needed divorce," she mumbled, hoping Willow could at least somewhat understand.

"What?!"

"I didn't tell him, okay?! Angel doesn't know, and he's never *going* to know, unless someone babbles it to him accidentally, okay?" Buffy reacted, knowing she sounded defensive. 

"Okay, okay," Willow replied, backing off the topic from Buffy's tone of voice. "You know I...I have problems with your relationship with Angel, but I'll watch over the gallery or get Tara to help me out until you get back," she said. _I just wonder if you're going to get Spike to actually agree to this, _thought Willow. 

"Thank you, Willow. You're the best," Buffy said. She glanced up at her wall clock and jumped back up to her feet. "Look, if I want to make it down there before sunset, I better get packed and get out of here."

"Okay."

"Call me on my cell if you run into any problems with the gallery," Buffy told her. "Although, you probably won't since you know how my computer works better than I do."

Willow chuckled over the line. "I promise I'll keep your gallery in good condition and sell plenty of pieces while you're gone."

"Thank you, Willow. I'll talk to you later."

The women exchanged another good-bye or two before finally ending the conversation. Buffy turned off the cordless phone and gently placed it back on the charger. She then wandered around her bedroom, slowly taking out some shirts, skirts, and pants for her trip from her dresser and closet. 

The one thing she vividly remembered about Spike was his stubbornness. She wasn't sure how long she'd be forced to remain in Sunnydale trying to convince Spike to sign the divorce forms, so she packed enough clothes for a week. _Hopefully, I won't need to stay any longer than seven days, _Buffy thought to herself as she zipped up her suitcase.

Lastly, she trudged down the hallway with her suitcase trailing behind her and approached her desk in the workroom. Buffy retrieved the divorce forms that Spike needed to sign and folded them in half. She stuck them in the side of her purse before turning on her heel and heading for the stairs.

~~~

Buffy had driven for almost two hours and was now well out of the Los Angeles area. The top of her Toyota Solara was down, and her hair freely whipped around in the air. A pair of brown sunglasses rested on the end of her nose, and she smiled to herself as she drove down the highway. Trees, bushes, and fields of grass had eventually replaced the towering skyscrapers and loud sounds of the city, and the deserted, winding road announced that Buffy was nearing her hometown. 

She continued driving for another twenty minutes before she went flying by a sign to her right. She didn't read the sign; but then again, she didn't need to read it since she had memorized the sign years ago. The sign read:

****

Welcome to Sunnydale

Home of the Sunnydale Wolverines

Population 845 and Growing

~~~

After checking in at the new Holiday Inn located in the better part of town, Buffy parked her car and began exploring the town on foot. Sunnydale was the complete opposite of Los Angeles. The town was so small that almost everyone was a pedestrian; hardly anyone who lived and worked in her hometown actually drove. In contrast, she had been forced to learn how to drive when she moved to LA.

Immediately, everything familiar sank back in; the Expresso Pump, the Sun Cinema, and the other stores that lined the streets looked exactly the same. _God, it's been two years, and these places haven't changed a bit, _Buffy thought to herself. She almost felt as if she had never left in the first place. 

She crossed the street and continued down the sidewalk, passing strangers here and there. The streets were nowhere near as crowded as Los Angeles' were; no, the rhythm was definitely slower in this small town in Southern California. Barely aware of what she was doing, Buffy suddenly found her feet leading her to "The Silver Spoon," Xander and Spike's very popular restaurant.

__

OK, I'm ready to face him, Buffy told herself. _I thought through things in the car...what I'm going to say, how I'm going to act, and I can do this. _She paused momentarily in her thinking, standing still. _Who am I kidding? He's going to see right through me, _she argued with herself. _NO! _she thought again, resuming her pace and nearing the entrance to the restaurant. _I'll be fine._

She hesitated for a second longer once she reached the main entrance to the restaurant. Peering through the glass windows, she could tell that the restaurant hadn't changed much in two years. The booths, carpet, light fixtures, and everything else looked the same. "Okay, here goes nothing," Buffy muttered underneath her breath before pushing the door open and taking a step inside.

Buffy turned her head from side to side, searching for either Xander or Spike. As she gazed around the room, a tall, brown-haired man approached her, menus in hand. "How many, miss?" the voice asked.

"Actually..." she began, craning her neck to gaze around the booths. "I'm here to see the owners, Xander and Spike?"

"Buffy?!"

Buffy stared in front of her, realizing that she *was* talking to one of the managers. "Oh, my God, Xander!" she cried, launching herself into his arms and tightly hugging him. "Oh, it's so good to see you!" She stepped back and admired how fit he looked since she last saw him. His shoulders had broadened, chest flattened out, and his hair was cleanly cut.

"How are you, my little LA Princess?" Xander teasingly asked.

"I'm fine, and yourself?"

"I'm doing great...business is doing great," Xander said proudly. "Not that I mind the surprise or anything, but what are you doing here? Don't tell me that you came all the way down from LA just to try our new gumbo?"

"Ah...well, I'm actually here to talk with Spike," Buffy said with only a slight waver in her tone.

"Spike?" Xander asked, a look of confusion appearing on his face. "Our Spike?"

"Who else around here is named Spike?"

"Good point," Xander agreed. "Here's not here right now, Buff."

Buffy exhaled loudly, a sigh of relief passing through her lips. "Good. Maybe I was wrong in thinking that I could just come here today and talk to him."

"Come on over to our office. We can catch up," Xander suggested. He walked over to the podium placed in the middle of the entrance. "Tracey? Can you take over here for a while?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Harris," the young employee replied.

"C'mon," Xander ordered, motioning for Buffy to follow him. He led her through the restaurant and into a back room. He pushed open a door that read "Managers Only!" on the outside, and after passing through the doorway herself, Buffy closed the door behind her, leaving it open a crack. 

"So...," Xander began as he walked over to his desk and sat down. "What brings you back to Sunnyhell?"

"Well...," Buffy spoke timidly, wondering whether or not she should tell Xander everything. She cleared her throat and nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, flashing Xander a glimpse of her ring.

"Wow...look at the size of that mother," Xander gasped, looking at Buffy's hand. "So...that's why you're here?"

Buffy groaned before nodding her head. She quickly detailed her problem of being engaged to Angel while she was still legally bound to Spike in marriage. Honestly, she was surprised that Xander was even listening to her instead of siding with Spike and starting an argument. "I came here looking for him to sign the papers, but I guess I can come back in a day."

"That's...that's fine," Xander replied.

Buffy looked at Xander for a second, her eyebrows raised in question. "Why are you so calm about this?"

"Easy...it's not any of my business," Xander simplified. "Trust me, I still know to not get involved in an argument between the two of you."

Buffy laughed. "I think that this is a bit more serious than just a simple argument." Not wanting to stay too much longer, she stood on her feet and smiled at her friend. "Thank you for being so understanding, Xander."

"My pleasure, Buffy."

Buffy turned around for the door before spinning back around and facing him. "Oh and...I hate to ask you to do this for me, but...until I get things worked out, please don't tell Spike that I'm in Sunnydale yet."

"Oh, I think it's a little bit too late for that," a heartless tone rang out from behind her.

__

Oh God... Buffy though, slowly turning around again. Her hazel eyes met an icy-cold set of blue ones, and she couldn't stop her mouth from slightly falling open as she faced her ex-husband, Spike Giles.

~~~

TBC...

WOW! Thank you SO much for all the great reviews! I'm glad you are enjoying the idea and story. Let me know what you think of the latest part. 


	4. Chapter 4

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Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 4

By Rachel

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Also...thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story! WOW, I really was not expecting this great big of a response. Thank you everyone!

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Ever since he had climbed out of bed at around 10:00 A.M., Spike had come to realize that today was simply not his day. The electricity had gone out sometime between the time he had gone to bed and had woken up on his own, which reset his alarm clock to 12:00 A.M. and disrupted his alarm. As a result, he had woken up three hours later than he'd originally planned.   
  
Not even an hour later, his beloved DeSoto broke down on the way to work, and when he finally arrived at "The Silver Spoon," Spike remembered that he had left the new design for the menus back at his house. 

The time read barely 5:00 P.M., and the day had long gone to hell.  
  
And right when he thought that things couldn't get any worse, he decided to take the new menu plan back to Xander at their office.  
  
Now he stood facing his best friend and ex-wife, an expression of hatred, shock, and confusion clear on his features. _Bloody hell, she's back, _Spike thought to himself, gazing at Buffy. Her hair was blonder than he recalled it being. _Although, that may be because I haven't seen her in almost two years, _Spike coldly reminded himself.

Buffy took a small step towards him, unsure of what to say or do. "Spike-"

"Harris, I've finally got the new menus over here," Spike interrupted, trying his best to not stare at the petite woman standing before him. "I was thinking you could take a look at what I've got planned out."

Xander jumped to his feet, taking the menu out of Spike's extended hand. "Uh...great!" he said, as his eyes nervously jumped from one blonde to the other. "I'm going to go and take care of this right now." Xander quickly backed away from Spike and hurried out the door, leaving Spike and Buffy to themselves.

"Well..." Buffy began, her voice wavering slightly. She paused, trying to gather her thoughts before speaking again. "Spike, I-"

Spike clenched his jaw and pushed down the sudden anger he felt towards her. _How dare she come to this restaurant like she never even left town? _he thought. "I see you never continued proper hair maintenance like I tried to teach you," Spike interrupted, sneering at her. 

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "Says the twenty-six year-old man who *still* bleaches his hair and wears the same leather duster that he wears every other day of the year," she replied before she could stop herself. _Great start, Buffy, _she told herself. _Not even five minutes into the conversation and you've already pissed him off. _"Can't we even act civilly toward each other?"

Spike shook his head. "You left *me*, love. I think I'll answer that with a resounding 'no'!"

Buffy tried to ignore what he just said and began again. "I know that you're surprised to see me."

"Surprised is an understatement, love," Spike corrected. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the door before asking, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I didn't come down here to fight, that's for sure," Buffy assured him. 

"Oh really? That's all we've been doing so far," Spike muttered under his breath. "Fine then, I'll bite. Why are you here?"

Buffy reached down in her purse and pulled out a packet of folded papers. She unfolded them and extended her arm, handing them to Spike. "I, uh, was wondering if you could sign these."

Spike snatched the papers and looked down at them, flipping from one page to the next, until he reached the end. _Bloody hell, these are for... _"These are for a-"

"A divorce. Yes, I know," Buffy finished for him. At his shocked expression, she added, "Don't you think it's about time, Spike?"

Immediately, Spike's eyes traveled down to Buffy's hand. He concealed his shock at the sight of the large diamond engagement ring placed on her left ring finger. But his eyes widened when he saw the simple gold ring resting on her right hand. . . the same ring he had given Buffy when they had gotten married. _She never got rid of the thing? _Spike asked himself, clearly confused. Resisting the urge to question her about it, Spike simply filed away that piece of information for later. 

"Bloody hell, you're marrying *that* poofer?" Spike questioned.

Buffy's face slightly paled when she realized that Spike had seen her rings. "How do you know?"

"That bleedin' ring!" Spike cried out. "And it's not like I never see you anymore. You're all over ET and US." Spike smirked at her before saying, "Must feel pretty proud of yourself, sleeping with the movie star."

Buffy blushed furiously, not willing to admit that she and Angel hadn't actually gotten that far in their relationship yet. "Look, can you just sign these papers? That's all I need, and then, I can get out of your life for good."

__

That's not what I want, pet. I want you back *in* my life, Spike mused to himself, unable to repeat the words aloud. His eyes went back to her right hand, and he briefly smiled when he stared at the ring. _If she's still wearing that ring, then, there must be a part of her that hasn't given up on the two of us_, Spike reasoned. 

Right then and there, Spike's new goal was to make her realize that she still loved him. Now all he needed was an excuse to buy him some time...

"I need to think about this," he said, shaking the papers in front of him to emphasize what he had said.

Buffy frowned. "What's to think about? We aren't together anymore, and we haven't been for years. You'd rather be married to this damn restaurant than me!"

Spike groaned and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. She *always* had to mention "The Silver Spoon" whenever they argued. "But that doesn't mean I don't get a chance to think this over, too!"

"I'm telling you that there's nothing to think about!" Buffy repeated, anger welling up inside of her. 

"Look, pet, you don't get to come back to this town after almost two years and order me to sign some papers," Spike maintained, closing the space between them and shaking the sheaf in her face. "These papers make everything between us *final*, and I need to think about it!" With that, he spun around on his heels and stormed out the door, the divorce papers still in his clenched hand.

"Spike!" Buffy called out as he slammed the door behind him. 

Spike heard Buffy yell out his name as he shut the door, but he kept moving. A smile was on his face as he folded up the divorce papers and stuck them in his back pocket. _That'll keep her here a few more days, _Spike smugly thought to himself. Now all he needed was a plan...

Back inside Xander and Spike's office, Buffy cursed to herself softly. "Damn him. Damn him and his stupid stubbornness."

Their first meeting hadn't gone at all the way she had hoped it would. In her fantasies of how the moment would play out, Spike was as thrilled to sign the papers as she was to receive them. Instead, she was reminded of everything that she hated about him,...and ultimately, she was also forced to remember every quality that made her fall in love with him. . . the fire that burned in his blue eyes when he was angry, the endearing nicknames he constantly used with her...god, she felt as if they were back in high school.

Buffy approached Spike and Xander's desk and smiled when she saw the framed photos on their desks. Xander had some photos of Willow, him, and herself when they were back in high school. They had all been such tight friends back then. _If you looked at us then, you would have never guessed that six years later we'd all be completely seperated, _Buffy thought regretfully to herself. There were also some more recent photos of him and..._Cordelia?! _Buffy wildly asked herself. _When did that happen?_

When she ventured to Spike's desk, all she saw were photos of him and herself. There was one of them at the senior prom together and one of the two of them at the beach, and there were several candid photos of the two when they were gazing at each other, the love evident on their features. That's when she realized something...

__

God, he's still in love with me, Buffy thought. After two years, Buffy believed that Spike had moved on also...after all, he hadn't seemed too broken up by her departure. 

But instead, he had hung onto every moment they had together...both the happy and the sad ones. _No wonder he was so angry...he probably hoped I had come back to start over...make things work, and instead I simply shove divorce papers in his face. _

Buffy picked up an image of herself and Spike at the beach that was taken almost six years ago during the summer before Buffy entered college. _That's when we were still just *friends*, _Buffy remembered. The two were standing in the surf, Spike holding Buffy by her waist, picking her up off the sand. 

And as Buffy stared at the photo, she wondered where everything had gone so wrong.

~~~

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"So how was your first day, honey?" Joyce Summers asked her daughter as she placed dinner in front of them.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and frowned. "It was okay, I guess."

"And Willow and Xander? How are they?" Mrs. Summers added. 

"They had an okay day too, I suppose." Buffy replied. "Xander made a new friend," she reported with a hint of sarcasm now in her tone.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, his name is..." she paused for a second, momentarily forgetting his name. "His name is William, but he likes to be called Spike," Buffy explained. She rolled his eyes. "He's *so* annoying. He called me a 'chit' today in English class...what's a 'chit'?"

Mrs. Summers chucked to herself. "I met his father today at the gallery."

"Oh really? Willow met him," Buffy said incredulously. "She said he was nice, but after meeting just his son, I find that very hard to believe."

"Well, maybe you should give him a chance," Joyce suggested. "Mr. Giles and I talked about William, and he sounds like a delightful boy. Besides, if Xander likes him, he can't be all that bad, right?"

"Right, Mom, right," Buffy agreed, hoping they would drop the topic now. "Oh! Speaking of Xander, we were all planning to meet up at the Bronze tonight...is that okay?" 

"Buffy..." her mother warned.

"I know it's a school night, but...please?" Buffy begged. She stuck out her lower lip and worked her pout to the best of her ability. "C'mon Mom, I'll be home by eleven. I promise." 

"Eleven sharp?" Joyce asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Scouts honor...well, if I was a scout," Buffy said, teasingly placing her first two fingers on her forehead and saluting her mother.

"I suppose that's okay, but-"

"Oh Mom! You're the best!" Buffy dropped her fork and quickly rose to her feet. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and hugged her mother. "I'll be back at eleven. I promise." 

"What about your dinner?" Joyce asked to Buffy's retreating form.

"I'll pick up something at the Bronze!" Buffy yelled back, sliding on her coat and opening the front door.

"Teens these days," Joyce muttered to herself when she heard Buffy carelessly close the door behind her.

~~~

Although Xander, Willow, and perhaps Spike were supposed to be at the Bronze by the time Buffy arrived, Buffy's main reason for urgently arriving at the Bronze that night was Scott Hope, her present boyfriend. He had said that he was going to show up, and Buffy hoped to see him for some boyfriend/girlfriend time for just the two of them and without any interruptions.

The moment she walked in the door, she spotted Willow and Oz on the dance floor together. The pair were easy to spot since one was a shiny red-head and the other was currently sporting a bright purple and blue-do. _Guess that's just the current Dingo color, _Buffy thought to herself. 

Buffy called out her name and Willow raised her head, smiling when she saw her friend. Willow quickly waved and Oz briefly smiled at Buffy before going back to their dance.

She headed further into the Bronze, searching for any familiar faces. Buffy eventually found Xander sitting at a table and started toward him, a frown appearing on her face when she realized with whom he was sitting.

"Xander," she greeted, smiling at him. "Spike..." she added, her smile turning into a frown.

Xander welcomed her with a loud, "Hey Buff!" 

"Hello love," Spike said, smiling when he saw her frown. _Guess I really touched a nerve with all the teasing today, _he thought, both proud and upset with himself at the same time.

Buffy rolled her eyes before turning her head and scanning the crowd. "Xander, have you seen Scott around yet?" 

Xander said he hadn't seen her boyfriend before turning his head and finishing what he was explaining to Spike. "So...basically, you should stay away from them. The Cordettes are a powerful force to reckon with, my man, and I suggest you don't even try."

"The Cordettes?" Buffy asked.

"You know...Cordy and her gang," Xander told her. "I'm filling Spike in on how Sunnyhell really works around here."

Buffy nodded, now placing her attention back towards the darkened dance floor, trying to spot Scott. _Maybe he couldn't show up tonight, _she thought. Suddenly, a large pair of hands wrapped around her hips and a trail of lips ran down her neck. She jumped from the surprise before smiling. "Scott!" Buffy quickly whirled around and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, Buffy," Scott replied, kissing the nape of her neck again. "I just got here. Sorry I'm late."

"That's okay. I just got here myself," Buffy reassured him. "I have to get home by eleven, but that leaves us with plenty of time to squeeze in a few dances."

"Great." Scott leaned down and kissed her again, lightly squeezing her hand. "C'mon." 

As Scott led Buffy onto the dance floor, Spike was eyeing her every move. "Who is that guy?" he asked Xander.

"Oh. that's Scott Hope, Buffy's beau," Xander explained. 

"I don't like him," Spike immediately said, watching as Scott dragged his hands down Buffy's waist before resting them on her hips. Every movement Scott made screamed "I want to sleep with this girl!", and for some reason that he couldn't explain, Spike didn't like it. 

"Yeah, join the club," Xander muttered. "I don't know...there's something fishy about the guy."

"How long have they been together?" asked Spike.

"Oh, for about six months or so. I really can't stand the guy," Xander admitted. "Buffy doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to dating, so I just hope she doesn't get burned if he cheats on her or anything."

With raised eyebrows, Spike looked across the table at Xander. "You sure you're just her friend?"

"I like to think of it as her over-protective brother," Xander answered. He jumped off his stool and finished his drink before asking, "You up for a game of pool?"

"You mean, are you ready to get your arse kicked?" Spike joked.

"C'mon," Xander ordered, striding towards the pool table. 

~~~

Cordelia had just entered the Bronze with Anya and Harmony trailing behind her. The moment that she set foot into the room, her eyes began searching out for a specific bleached blonde head. _Ahh, there he is, _Cordelia thought, smiling to herself.

"Okay, ladies, you know the plan," Cordelia ordered. The girls nodded before walking off to the pool tables.

Cordelia hung behind the rest of them, watching as Harmony and Anya quickly drew Xander away from Spike, leaving the blond alone. When Cordelia saw that Spike was alone at the pool tables, saw her chance and honed in on her unsuspecting target.

"Hey," Cordelia announced when she reached him. Spike looked up at her but quickly rolled his eyes and turned away. "Hello?! Did I not *just* greet you?"

"Yeah, I guess you did," Spike admitted.

"Well, it's polite to answer back," Cordelia said, narrowing her eyes as she looked up into his. 

__

Xander wasn't lying when he said to stay away from this chit, Spike thought to himself. "Fine...hello...and g'bye, love," he spoke before turning his back to her again. 

"Oh c'mon," Cordelia protested, reaching out and grabbing his arm. "Let's dance!"

And suddenly, Spike found himself being dragged out onto the dance floor against his will. "Look, love...I'm really not a bloody dancer, okay?"

"Just one dance, that's all I'm asking for," Cordelia insisted, turning towards him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She took a step closer towards Spike, pressing her body tightly against his. _Fine, _Spike thought to himself. _I can put up with one soddin' dance with this cheerleader. _

But that was until she suddenly threw herself against him and pressed her demanding lips against his in a tight and searing kiss. 

__

Bloody hell!

~~~

Brown-eyed Scott Hope stared down at Buffy and kissed her forehead lightly. "I'm glad you showed up tonight," Buffy admitted.

"Me too," Scott replied, kissing her again. "Who was that blonde guy that Xander was hanging out with?"

"Oh, him? An absolute nobody," Buffy answered him. 

"I'm guessing you aren't too fond of him?"

"His name is Spike," Buffy spoke, "and he's such a pain."

"Well, he seems to be getting along with Cordelia just fine," Scott said, nodding his head towards the dance floor.

Buffy glanced toward Cordelia and Spike who were dancing several yards away from them. The two were tightly pressed together, arms wrapped around each other's waist. They were gazing into each other's eyes. When Cordelia raised her neck and unexpectedly kissed Spike, Buffy forced herself to hide her surprise from Scott. "Good," Buffy muttered. "They're perfect for each other."

She turned her back to Cordelia and Spike, concentrating on the man with whom she was currently dancing, not wanting to think about how much seeing Cordelia and Spike kiss had bothered her.

~~~

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 5

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter. Also, I actually haven't seen "Sweet Home Alabama" yet, so I don't know exactly how off I am from the original plot.

Sorry for the delay in getting this part out, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the amazing reviews :) I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story -- let me know what you think of this part also.

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****

Buffy shifted her backpack on her shoulder and increased her pace as she neared the school library. Not only did she need to read a collection of poems written by Emily Dickinson for English class by next Thursday, she was also interested in seeing what Rupert Giles, Spike's father, was like.

"Hello?" she timidly asked as she pushed open the library doors. Buffy took a small step inside, looking around at the deserted room. "Hel-lo?" she repeated with a more forceful tone.

"Is someone there?" a British voice called out.

"Yeah...I'm looking for Mr. Giles?" 

A tall, middle-aged man who was dressed in tweed and who wore a pair of glasses on the rim of his nose appeared from behind a bookcase. "So sorry," he apologized, looking down at the blonde. "I just...just needed to rearrange a few things in the stacks."

"Mr. Giles?" Buffy questioned, a look of disbelief on her features. _*This* is Spike's father?! _Buffy stifled a laugh. If the two of them were standing side by side, Buffy would have never been able to guess that Spike and Rupert Giles were related.

"Yes, I'm Mr. Giles, the librarian," he introduced himself, repositioning his glasses higher on his nose. "And you are?"

"Buffy Summers," she said, smiling up at him.

"Buffy...that name sounds familiar," Giles began, thinking back to when he may have heard the name. "Oh! I believe that my son was speaking about you."

"Spike?" Buffy snorted, sarcastically adding, "And I'm sure that he just had so many lovely things to say about me."

"Actually..." Giles began, as if he were getting ready to disagree with her. _No, Spike would have a heart attack if I told her what he said about her the other night, _Giles reflected. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, actually. I was wondering if you had a collection of Emily Dickinson's poetry," Buffy explained. "I'd like to *not* fail English this year, and we're supposed to read some poetry by an author. I heard that Dickinson wasn't too bad."

"Emily Dickinson? She's a wonderful poet," Giles insisted, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Let me go see what we have. I'm not entirely used to the layout at this library yet." With that, Mr. Giles headed back into the stacks to find a book for Buffy.

Buffy sat down at one of the tables in the center of the room to wait while Giles searched around. _I can't believe that's Spike's father, _Buffy told herself. _Spike's just so...so *not* Giles! _

"Dad!"

__

Speaking of Spike, Buffy groaned to herself before turning around and staring at the bleached-blonde man. "What are you doing here?" she asked defensively.

"What, love? I'm not allowed to visit my own father now?" Spike shot back at her.

Buffy rolled her eyes before facing away from him. "Whatever."

"William?" Giles called out, coming back out of the stacks with two books in his hands. "Is there a problem?"

"No, I was just wondering. Can I go over to Xander's flat after school?" Spike asked, following his father to the front desk.

Giles scanned the books' ID number into the computer before stamping a due date on the back cover. "Xander? Do I know him?"

"C'mon Dad, I told you all about him the other day...Xander Harris?" Spike spoke slowly, trying to refresh his father's memory. "We were planning on going to the Bronze tonight, and then, I could just crash at his place afterwards."

"Will you call and check in with me at least once tonight?"

Spike sighed impatiently at his father's question. "Yes, Dad. I will call you."

"Well, as long as you're home tomorrow by noon, and I don't get a call from the police or anything like that, you may go out with Xander tonight," Giles told him, closing the stamp book as he finished checking out the books for Buffy.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Miss Summers?" Giles called out, raising the books in the air. 

"Thank you, Mr. Giles," Buffy said, hurrying to take the books out of his hand. "This will be a big help."

"You're very welcome," Giles answered her before Buffy spun around and started heading towards the door. Spike also turned and left, striding through the swinging doors a second before Buffy did.

"So, planning on meeting up with Cordelia tonight?" Buffy asked him casually as they walked down the hallway together.

Spike's eyes widened, and he gawked at Buffy as if she had grown a second head. "What?!" 

"Oh c'mon, Spike! I saw you two at the Bronze the other night!" Buffy cried out. "God, you two don't even know each other, and you were just going at it right there in the middle of the dance floor."

Spike's jaw tightened at what Buffy was saying when she didn't even know what had really happened. "Look, *she* kissed me, love," he insisted. "If you had been watching a second longer, you would have seen me pushing her away and walking off the bloody dance floor."

Buffy stopped and stared at him a second, wondering if he was telling the full truth. "Seriously?"

"Of course I'm serious about this, pet!" Spike cried, frustrated with the girl before him.

"Oh..." And suddenly there was that feeling again. For some unknown reason, Buffy felt relieved that Spike and Cordelia were never an item. _Why should I care what he does? _Buffy asked herself, pushing away her feelings. _It's *Spike* for God's sake!_

Spike smirked at her. "Why, love, I think you're jealous," Spike reported, phrasing it as a statement instead of a question. _She is definitely jealous, _he told himself when he saw her cheeks begin to redden.

"Jealous?!" Buffy gasped. "Of Cordelia and you? Oh puh-lease!"

"Oh yeah, you just can't believe that Cordelia got some Spike-action," he continued, trying to get some type of a reaction from her that wasn't denial.

Buffy shook her head, a look of disgust crossing her face. "Get it through your thick skull, *William*; I am *not* jealous!" she practically screamed at him. Buffy turned and ran up a flight of stairs, refusing to look back at the black-clad figure standing at the bottom.

When she turned the corner, Buffy leaned against the wall, taking in a deep breath and loudly exhaling. _Oh God! s_he thought to herself. _I *am* jealous!_

Spike smiled to himself as he watched Buffy storm away from him. _Oh yeah...not jealous, my ass._

~~~

Thoughts of her first meeting with Giles trailed through Buffy's mind as she walked down the hallway of her old high school, slowly approaching the double library doors. _It's been nearly ten years and this place still hasn't changed a bit, _Buffy pondered in awe as she looked around at the school.

"Giles?" her voice rang out as she entered the library. "Are you in here?" She smiled when she saw that the library looked the same as well. "I hope you're still working here," she mumbled to herself.

Giles appeared out of his office when he heard his name being shouted. "Is there something I can..." He stared at the young woman standing before him and grinned. "Miss Summers, what a pleasant surprise."

"C'mon Giles; it's Buffy; you can call me Buffy," she told him. "I can still call you just Giles, right?" While she had attended high school and throughout the majority of college when she was dating Spike, she and Giles had grown very close. Giles had become Buffy's father-figure, and before long, Buffy had dropped the "Mr." from his title, simply referring to him as "Giles."

Giles approached her, saying, "I wouldn't want it any other way, dear." He drew her into a firm hug.

"It's so good to see you," Buffy admitted, tightly returning the embrace. "How are you?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," Giles replied. "And you?" He paused before nervously adding, "Spike...uh, Spike told me about your engagement to Angel O'Connor."

"I see he wasted no time spreading the good news," Buffy grumbled. "Yes, I am engaged."

"Then, a congratulations is in order," Giles announced.

A confused look crossed Buffy's face. "I thought you'd be upset. I was so nervous about coming here today since I thought that...that after what Spike and I went through, you wouldn't want to see me."

"Let's sit down," Giles suggested. As he led her over to the center table, Giles added, "I know that things didn't go well with my son, and I wish that you two could have worked everything out-" 

"Great, here comes the fatherly guilt trip," Buffy muttered under her breath.

"Buffy, are you happy?"

Buffy's eyes jerked up to make contact with his. "What? Of -- of course I'm happy," she insisted, almost too strongly.

"Well, then that's all that matters," Giles replied, reaching over and lightly squeezing her shoulder. 

Buffy smiled at him gratefully, glad that even though he was Spike's father and should be taking his side, he was so understanding about her situation. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Bloody hell," a voice drawled from behind the two of them.

Buffy and Giles turned to stare at Spike who was standing in the doorway. "Good afternoon, William," Giles said, giving his son a slight smile. "How are you?"

Spike ignored his father's question completely. "How come every time I have to talk to someone about my damn restaurant, you're always around?" Spike questioned, glaring at Buffy. He sighed and pivoted on his heel, quickly exiting through the library doors.

Buffy gave Giles a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, I'd better go talk to him." She reached over and lightly hugged Giles. "It really was great to finally see you again."

"Stop by again before you leave if you wish," Giles suggested. "But you'd better go talk to my son before he winds up at Willy's, drinking himself into oblivion."

~~~

"You know, if you'd just sign the papers, I wouldn't even be in this town when you needed to talk to your father about your business," Buffy explained when she finally found Spike.

Buffy had caught up to him outside in the courtyard area. "I haven't had enough time to look everything over, pet," Spike reported as he continued walking. He slowed down to allow Buffy to catch up. 

"C'mon, Spike...it's not that hard," Buffy complained, increasing her pace to match his. "I'll have my lawyer handle everything."

Spike didn't reply to Buffy's comments; instead, he kept walking through the courtyard until he stopped at a long, black bench. He sat down at the end of the seat, sighing loudly. "I can already tell we're just going to argue about this whenever we run into each other, aren't we?"

__

Well, if you weren't so damn stubborn and would just sign the papers, the arguments would be over, Buffy thought to herself, but she held her tongue because she knew that telling Spike he was being stubborn would only increase his anger. "I'm sorry," she finally spoke. "But I...I've got the gallery to get back to in LA. Willow and Tara are running it, but I don't want to stay away from it too long."

"How is the gallery?" Spike asked.

Buffy perched at the opposite end of the bench, crossing her arms against her chest. "It's going well...we're pretty busy all year round. Mom would have been so happy to see business going so well," she replied with a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Yeah, I imagine that Joyce would have be very proud of you right now. . . to see you running the gallery so professionally," Spike admitted. 

Buffy glanced at Spike out of the corner of her eye, reading nothing but concern and care in his features. "I still miss her so much," Buffy finally whispered, the words spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them. But then again, she had always been able to speak freely around Spike; for some reason, she found talking with him easy. . . easier than talking with her friends.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up your mum like that," Spike said, sending her an apologetic smile. 

"It's okay," Buffy softly replied. 

In order to change the subject, Spike scanned over his surroundings and patted the metallic bench with the palm of his hand. "We've had some good times here, pet, you know that?" he questioned, thinking back to their senior year in high school. Spike hadn't really formulated a plan to make Buffy fall in love with him all over again, but he figured that reminding Buffy of all the good times they had together wouldn't hurt. 

"Oh yeah, the two of us walking from class to class yelling and arguing at each other so loudly that the students on the other end of the school could hear us?" Buffy asked sarcastically. "Good times, Spike."

Spike's voice was now tinged with excitement. "C'mon, love...don't you remember?" 

After several seconds, Buffy broke into a smile as the memory of what Spike was thinking of filtered into her mind. _That was the day when everything between the two of them had started to change. _"Yeah," she murmured, a smile playing across her lips. "I remember, Spike."

~~~

TBC...

Coming up...flashbacks!


	6. Chapter 6

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 6

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Sorry for the delay with this part again...school is hectic and I'm trying to manage that, my site, this story, and having some free time. 

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****

Buffy ran from one end of her room to the other, trying on one top before throwing it off and pulling on another. She tried on a black halter-top before tossing it onto her bed where a small pile of clothes already lay. "This shouldn't be *that* difficult," she grumbled to herself as she slid into her black pants and pulled on a dark blue tank top. Buffy slid on a couple of rings and bracelets and dragged her fingers through her loose hair before standing in front of the mirror to examine the chosen outfit.

"Having trouble, sweetie?" her mother questioned from where she was leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Mom, does this look okay?" Buffy asked, posing for her mother in the middle of her room with her arms at her side. When Joyce didn't reply right away, Buffy began to panic. "It's too much, isn't it? Or...it's too dark?"

"Buffy, you look fine," Joyce assured her daughter. "I'm sure Scott will like your outfit."

Buffy let out a sigh of relief. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Are you sure you won't get too cold out there tonight?"

Since spring had finally arrived in Sunnydale, the nights were usually around 65 degrees at night, which was fine for Buffy. "Mom, I'll be fine," she replied before she realized that her mom was getting ready to start nagging about her choice of clothing. "On second thought, I'll grab a coat before I leave, okay?" 

"All right, honey," Joyce answered in a satisfied tone, smiling at her daughter.

From outside, Buffy heard a car honk four times in a row. "Oh!" she shrieked, her eyes widening. "That's Scott!" Buffy quickly darted into her closet and grabbed a light jacket from inside before rushing back out into the hallway. She lightly kissed her mother's cheek before jogging down the stairs. "Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, Buffy!" her mother's voice rang out as Buffy slammed the door.

"Hey," Buffy greeted Scott a few seconds later, pausing because she was out of breath. 

"Hi, Buffy," Scott answered, leaning over the armrest to place a kiss on her forehead. "Ready for some fun?"

"Of course," Buffy confirmed. "The Bronze, right?"

"Oh no, we're going to the cooler and much nicer club over in the richest area of Sunnydale," Scott replied sarcastically as he put the car in reverse and started backing out of the driveway. "Of course, we're going to the Bronze, Buffy."

"Of course...," Buffy repeated softly, the amusement clear in her actions as she smiled over at him.

~~~

The couple arrived outside the Bronze within ten minutes. Scott parked by the entrance and quickly turned off the car. Buffy began reaching for the handle to open the door, but Scott intervened and grabbed her hand. "Wait a minute," he said, pulling her hand back towards him.

"What?" she asked, a curious smile on her face.

"Well, as you know...prom is coming up in a week or so," Scott began.

"Yes, I know that," Buffy agreed. "What's the deal? You've got something special planned for us?"

"Something like that. I figured that now seemed like a good a time as any to fill you in," Scott explained.

"That's awfully kind of you," Buffy teased.

"So, here's the plan. I figured that the limo could pick us up around five o' clock, and we could eat out.… How does 'The Melting Pot' sound?" Scott suggested.

"Oh! Fondue!" Buffy exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face. "I'm definitely liking the plan so far." 

Scott raised her hand to his lips. "Good. Then, we'll go to the prom...dance and party with your friends...have punch, and then instead of going to the post-prom celebration, I've planned for the limo to drive us up to LA."

A confused expression crossed Buffy's features. "LA? What's in LA?"

"Well, I booked us a room at the Plaza Hotel."

Buffy blinked after she heard what Scott said. She replayed his sentence in her mind as the color slowly drained from her face. "I -- I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" _God, I hope I heard wrong, _she worriedly thought to herself.

"Buffy...we've been dating for a long time-"

"It hasn't been *that* long," she interrupted, trying to talk him out of his hotel plans. _No...this isn't Scott. Scott is sweet and charming and he wouldn't..._

"We're eighteen now, Buffy. We can do whatever we want. Aren't you ready?" Scott asked. "Because I am."

"No, I'm not," Buffy answered quickly, her tone filled with disbelief about the conversation she was having with him. "Scott...*please* don't tell me that the only reason we've been dating for the last six months was because you hoped that I'd sleep with you on prom night."

Scott lowered his eyes to the car seat, not able to answer her question.

Immediately, Buffy pulled her hands out of his and sat as far away from his as she could. "Don't you love me?"

"Buffy..."

"Because if you loved me the slightest bit, you wouldn't even think of doing something as low as this," Buffy angrily said. _God, I'm such a fool, _she told herself. _How could I have missed this?_

"Buffy..." Scott tried again.

Buffy bit her lower lip and blinked back her tears. _I will not cry in front of him, _she repeated to herself several times. "I...I think you should just take me home, Scott."

"But-"

"Scott," Buffy began, her voice sounding tired and defeated. "Just take me home."

~~~

Buffy opened the front door, throwing her purse and jacket on the floor of the foyer. "Stupid, I'm so stupid," she mumbled to herself over and over again. 

"Buffy?" Her mother's concerned voice filtered down from upstairs. "You're home early." 

Buffy stood in the hallway motionless. When Joyce didn't hear a reply from her daughter, she pulled on a robe and headed for the stairs. "Buffy?" Joyce asked worriedly as she walked down the stairs. "What's wrong? Did your date with Scott not go well?"

When she heard the name of her now ex-boyfriend's name being mentioned, Buffy raised her head, causing the unshed tears in her eyes to overflow as she met her mother's distressed ones. "Mommy..." Buffy began. "Scott...he..."

Joyce didn't know what was going on, but at that moment, she didn't care. All she knew was that Scott had done or said something that hurt her only daughter and that was all she needed to know. "Oh Buffy..." Joyce whispered, approaching her daughter and wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

Buffy's sobs increased as her mother's grip around her tightened. "I'm so stupid...I thought he loved me, I really did..."

~~~

Buffy walked through the school courtyard Monday afternoon, her body feeling zombie-like. She had cried herself to sleep Saturday night and then was unable to get any sleep last night. Today, Buffy had spotted Scott in the hallways a couple times and so far at least, had been able to hold back the tears. _All I have to do is make it through two more classes, _she reminded herself. _I can do that easily._

Buffy kept her eyes on her feet, not watching where she was going. When she bumped into someone, she jumped back, spilling her books all over the grass. "Sorry," Buffy muttered, bending down to gather her supplies.

"Buffy, I just *love* the look," a voice drawled above her.

Buffy raised her head and met eyes with Cordelia's. "Cordelia...great, my day is now officially complete," Buffy murmured under her breath. "I know I'm going to regret asking this later, but...what's wrong with the look?" she asked, gazing down at her overalls and dark red tank top. _Well, now that you mention it..._

"Nothing...it's just that...it really screams 'post-break-up outfit,'" Cordelia answered her.

Buffy's eyes went wide. "What?"

From around the corner of the side of the school, Spike was heading from history class to the other end of the school for physics when he saw Buffy literally run into Cordelia. He began to increase his pace, nearing the blonde in order to help her out if needed and knowing fully just how cruel Cordelia could be. 

When Spike watched Cordelia raise her voice to Buffy, he immediately placed all thoughts about getting to his next class on hold. He jogged out to the courtyard, preparing to save Buffy from Cordelia's biting tongue. He stayed about ten yards away from the two women, remaining behind a pole and listening in on their conversation.

"What do you mean, Cordelia?" Buffy asked, her voice more forceful.

Cordelia broke out into a grin...a sarcastic, mean grin. "Ask me who I'm going to prom with, Buffy."

The color drained from Buffy's face. "Scott Hope," she stated, deadpan.

"Bingo! Now, I just can't figure out what a guy like that would be doing without a date less than one week to our senior prom," Cordelia pondered out loud, tapping her index finger on her chin. "Could it be that *some*one wasn't putting out?"

Spike fought his sudden urge to run out there and curse and scream at Cordelia.

"Cordelia, stop it," Buffy said, lowering her eyes. _I will not cry in front of this bitch...I will not...I will not... _Nevertheless, a tear dropped down the side of her cheek.

"C'mon, Buffy...cheer up. Let's face it...Scott just wasn't your type," Cordelia stated boldly. "I'm sure you can find some other *great* guy to go to the prom with. Wait...doesn't Xander still need a date?" She smiled when Buffy didn't say anything. "Ever been to the Plaza Hotel? Maybe Scott and I can send you a postcard."

"Cordelia...please..." Buffy begged, her voice no louder than a whisper. 

"Well, my job here is done," Cordelia announced, turning on her heel. As she stalked away from the small blonde, her voice rang out, "And nothing about that wasn't fun."

Spike stared at Cordelia as she sauntered off, a scowl cutting across his expression. _How dare she say those things, _Spike thought, outraged at what the brunette had said to Buffy. 

When he turned back to Buffy, he watched as she slowly sat down on a long, black bench in the middle of the courtyard and began to cry. Buffy pulled her knees up to her chest and covered her face her hands to hide her evident pain. Instantly, Spike felt a pang in his heart seeing Buffy sob. 

In the few months that had passed, Spike's opinion about Buffy had rapidly changed. While Xander was the only other person that actually knew of his feelings towards the blonde, Spike's extreme dislike for Buffy and her quick-mouthed temper had changed into a secret longing and almost..._dare he think it?_…love for her. Naturally, it didn't help that the two still continued their arguing and constant verbal battles whenever they saw each other. Nonetheless, without even realizing what he was doing, Spike had begun to fall in love with Buffy Summers. 

However, realizing that this was his big chance to begin to change the way things were between the two of them, Spike emerged from his hiding place in the courtyard and calmly walked up to Buffy.

"Buffy?" he quietly asked, looking down at the frail young woman before him.

"Go away," she pleaded without looking up at him.

"Sorry, I can't do that, love," Spike answered, sitting down beside her.

Buffy raised her tear-stained face and stared at him. She quickly frowned before saying, "What part of 'go away' did you not understand, Spike?" 

"Uh...pretty much the whole thing, pet," Spike commented. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I...I, uh, saw you and Cordelia having a little spat," Spike remarked. "Are you okay?"

"You were spying on me?" Buffy questioned, a hint of anger in her tone.

"No!" Spike insisted. "But I... What's wrong?" he repeated, not really knowing what else to say.

"Scott and I broke up," Buffy informed him. _Great, Buff...just give him something else he can make fun of you about, _she told herself, then wondered why she told him things so easily.

"I'm sorry, love," Spike replied, although he was inwardly jumping with joy. Buffy was single now...maybe he would finally get his chance after all. "And let me guess who grabbed him?"

Buffy nodded, wiping away her somewhat dried tears. "Cordelia," she confirmed.

Spike sat silently for a second and thought about what the two of them could do to get back at Cordelia. "Well, you know what would really tick that May Queen off?" Spike began. "If you and I showed up at prom together."

Buffy froze before turning her head to stare at him, not sure if she should take him seriously or not. "Really?"

"Really, really," Spike repeated with a small smile on his face.

"You'd do that? For me?" she asked, awe in her voice.

__

If I see you crying and sticking out your lower lip like that again, I'd walk over hot coals for you, love, Spike almost began to say. "Of course, love. Y'know, you're not so bad once a bloke gets used to that temper of yours."

At once, Spike found a pair of small, thin arms wrapped around his body. Buffy pressed her wet cheeks against his chest and sighed. Spike glanced down at the girl in his arms and breathed in her scent as he cradled her in his arms. _A guy could get used to this...hell, *I* could get used to this very easily, _he realized, tightening his grip around the girl of his affections. 

"Thank you," Buffy whispered.

"You are very welcome, Buffy," Spike responded, using her real name instead of his usual nickname or endearment.

"He just doesn't understand," Buffy suddenly blurted, not loosening her grip around his chest. 

"What?" he asked, having missed her last words.

"Scott. He just doesn't get it," Buffy said, sniffing and catching fresh tears with her fingertips. 

"I don't understand you, love."

"He...he was just using me," Buffy clarified. "His main goal was to sleep with me after prom. That's the only reason he and I were together for so long -- he just wanted to sleep with me."

Spike's blood began to boil. _How dare that little git try to do that! _he yelled in his mind. He had known since the beginning that Scott was bad news. Spike just didn't think that the idiot would have done something this cruel to Buffy. "I know it doesn't help much, Buffy, but I am sorry."

"I just...when it happens, I want it to be for love...y'know? Not some stupid, lusty, teenage hormones, and... and Scott just doesn't understand that," Buffy continued, before twining her arms around his neck and crying onto his shirt.

Spike changed the position of his arms, and Buffy felt him run his fingers through her hair. As she closed her eyes and leaned against his chest, Buffy swore to herself that she heard him whisper, "I would understand, love."

~~~

TBC...

I hope you're enjoying the story so far...I will try to get the next part out as soon as possible. Please let me know what you think so far! :)

Coming up next...Buffy and Spike at their senior prom, a day at the beach, and a look at what's going on between the two at the present storyline.


	7. Chapter 7

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 7

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter. Also, the song, "Chances Are" doesn't belong to me either!

Chapters are still coming along slowly b/c of my hectic schedule -- sorry!

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****

Spike walked up to Buffy's front porch, nervously fiddling with his tie that suddenly felt as if it were tied too tightly. _This is it, mate, _he told himself. _This is the night where you finally get your chance. Now just don't bugger it all up! _He knocked on the door and stepped back as he continued to re-adjust his tie.

"William!" Joyce greeted as she opened the door. "Well, don't you look handsome tonight."

"Thank you," Spike answered her.

"How are you, William?" She motioned Spike inside before closing the door behind him. 

"I'm fine, Mrs. Summers," Spike replied. Joyce reminded of his mother who died several years ago; hence, she was the one person that Spike let use his first name. "Is Buffy ready?"

"Oh, you know my daughter. She's still panicking and running around her room deciding what rings and bracelets go best with her dress," Joyce teased, smiling at the man standing opposite her. "Oh, I better go grab the camera!" 

"I don't panic," Buffy called from the top of the stairs, having overheard her mother's words. Buffy entered the bathroom, checking her hair and makeup for the last time. She brushed a few loose strands of hair out of her face and gave her reflection a nervous smile. _What do I have to be anxious about? _she asked herself. _This is *Spike* of all people. _But for some reason that she couldn't explain, Buffy was apprehensive about her upcoming evening. 

Finally feeling as though she had applied her makeup to the best of her ability, Buffy spun on her heels and headed towards the stairs. "Okay, I'm coming down," she announced as she neared the foyer. 

Spike slowly strolled to the end of the stairway, his mouth slightly falling open when he saw the blonde beauty positioned before him. Buffy was dressed in a long, strapless, pink dress that trailed for several inches on the floor behind her. Her hair was pulled back out of her face but fell loosely against her shoulders. _Bloody hell, _Spike thought in awe as he stared at her. 

"Hello? Earth to Spike," Buffy joked, smiling up at him as she shook his arm lightly.

"Wow, love...you look smashing," Spike complimented her.

"Thanks. You do, too," she agreed, eyeing her date in his black tuxedo.

Spike cleared his throat, pushing back his emotions for Buffy. "Well, I guess we'd better shove off then...Got places to be and all that."

"Oh, wait..." Joyce began, journeying back into the foyer and gazing at the beautiful couple, "I have to take some pictures of the two of you on your big night."

"MO -- om," Buffy groaned, rolling her eyes. She sent an apologetic look towards Spike before adding, "OK, but just a few, all right?"

Ten minutes and almost fifty camera clicks later, Spike escorted Buffy out to his DeSoto with her arm linked around his. "I'm sorry it's no limo, love...It's not going to be like what Sc--"

"Don't say that name tonight," Buffy ordered. "Just...just show me a good time, Spike, but do *not* say the 'S' word tonight."

"You got it, pet," Spike promised, opening the passenger door for her before she quickly climbed in.

~~~

Buffy and Spike promenaded through the high school gymnasium doors a few hours later. Immediately, Buffy was awestruck from the decorations hung all around the gymnasium walls. "It doesn't even look like the boring, old gym tonight," she noticed. 

"Buffy!" Willow's voice cried out as she ran up to her best friend with Oz trailing behind her. "Oh my god, you look awesome!" She wrapped her arms around her friend and tightly hugged her before moving back and scanning over the dress with a nod of approval.

"So do you," Buffy replied, smiling at the red head. Buffy absolutely loved Willow's dress and the shade of red that she had chosen. "How's the prom?"

  
"Strangely affecting," Oz replied in an unusually emotional tone. "I got all teared up when they played 'We Are Family'."  


"Everything's perfect," Willow commented dreamily, gazing around the room. "Why were you late?"

"Oh my god," Buffy gasped, thinking back to earlier that night. "Will, Spike fixed us the *best* dinner I've ever had. This guy has seriously been hiding his culinary skills from us!" 

Because Spike couldn't exactly afford eating at an expensive restaurant like "The Melting Pot" at the moment, he decided to test out his culinary skills for Buffy, preparing their meal at his father's home.

"It wasn't anything special," Spike scoffed while inwardly beaming with joy that he had impressed Buffy so much. Honestly, Spike had always possessed a hidden love to cook; the necessary skills simply came naturally to him. He had dreams of owning and running his own restaurant but figured that they would never come true. "I've just picked up a thing or two over in the mother country." 

"Spike, c'mon, you could probably make a living by cooking for people," Buffy insisted. "Or, at least, me."

Spike smirked. "You think so?"

"I *know* so," Buffy insisted forcefully. She turned back to Willow and Oz and smiled at the two of them. "Have we missed much?"

"No...just a few songs, that's all," Willow assured her. "They're going to have the class awards sometime soon, and Xander is really polling for the Class Clown award."

Buffy chuckled and quickly glanced across the gym, searching for her friend. "Who did Xander come with tonight?"

Willow's eyes bulged. "Oh god, Buffy...you'll never guess who he showed up with."

~~~

Xander entered the senior prom with his date's arm tucked against him. He stifled a groan and a frown as he tried to tune out his date's endless babbling. 

"So...then Harmony said, 'No, how can that be Armani?' So I responded with a quick 'Hell no, Harm, I know Armani when I see it, and that--"

"Anya," Xander interrupted. "Am I going to hear about your little circle of friends all night long?"

"You're the one who asked *me* to the prom, Xander Harris," Anya replied bluntly. "So you're just going to have to deal with it." She tugged on his arm and started leading him over to the dance floor. "So then Cordelia said that--"

"Buffy! Spike!" Xander shouted in pure desperation to have someone else to talk to. "My god in heaven, it's good to see you. How are you both? And details, please." he added with a shaky smile.

"We're doing fine, Xander," Buffy responded. She noticed how nervous Xander was while standing next to Anya, one of the main Cordettes, and quickly stifled a laugh. When Willow had told her that Xander had asked Anya to the prom and that Anya had actually agreed, Buffy thought that Willow was out of her mind. _Who would have thought? Xander and Anya? Like *that* would last._

"How are you, Harris?" Spike asked his friend.

"Oh, you know..." Xander started. _I'm just barely hanging in there, pal, _he wanted to complain, but he knew he would have to face the wrath of Anya if he spoke. 

"Spike, why don't you stay with Anya and Xander for a second," Buffy suggested. "I'm going to go grab us some punch."

Spike nodded and pushed a strand of hair that had fallen loose from the clip behind her ear. "I'll be over here, love."

Buffy swallowed with difficulty, her knees suddenly feeling very weak and shaky. _Okay, maybe punch isn't the best idea, _she thought to herself. However, she managed to turn around and head to the back of the gym where a table was set up with punch, crackers, and other snacks. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. Giles walking around the back table, a cup of punch in one hand and a cracker in the other. She smiled and waved at him, and Giles quickly returned the friendly gesture. 

Buffy reached down and picked up a small glass, filling it to the brim with punch. "This isn't so bad," she murmured to herself, now glad that she had decided to come to prom.

"Buffy! I can't believe you actually came to the prom!" a loud voice rang out from behind her. "I mean, going stag is *so* last year, but I really do commend you for showing up." 

__

Great...I had to open my big mouth, Buffy fussed at herself. "Isn't this getting old by now?" Buffy griped, facing Cordelia. She raised herself to her full height and looked the brunette straight in the eye. "You'd think that after a while, you'd find someone else to release your venom on."

"Oh, but Buffy...you're just so easy to talk to," Cordelia said, faking her politeness. "Isn't that right, Scott?"

Scott came up from behind Cordelia, with a grin on his face. He wrapped his arms around the May Queen's waist and pulled her tightly against his body. "Of course," he agreed. 

"So, was there something you two wanted?" Buffy asked impatiently. "Because if not, I'd really like to get back to the dance and actually have some fun while I'm here."

"So, c'mon Buffy...who did you come with? Did your mommy pick out some nice prep for you to come to your prom with?" Cordelia teased ruthlessly, a cold smile on her features. 

"Actually, Cordelia..." Buffy stated slowly, her joy of telling Cordelia who her date becoming obvious. "Actually, I'm here with--"

"Are you all right, love?" Spike called out from nearby. Buffy glanced behind her and smiled as Spike quickly approached her. "I was wondering what was taking you so bloody long."

"Sorry, Spike," Buffy replied, her tone full of tenderness and caring. "I was getting us some punch...until someone rudely interrupted us." As she said the last part, Buffy's narrowed eyes met Cordelia's with a cold glare. 

"Wait..." Cordelia said. Buffy bit her lip to keep herself from laughing as Cordelia realized who her date was. "Your date is Spike?!" _I don't get this...I chase after him for months and *Buffy* *Summers* grabs him in under a week?! _she thought wildly to herself. 

"You can keep Scott for all I care," Buffy began, taking a step closer to Spike and encircling his waist with her arms. "I've got the perfect date right here."

Cordelia's eyes tightened, the anger and confusion clear in her features and posture. "Whatever," she grumbled, storming away from the blonde couple. 

"Cordy!" Scott called out, chasing after her and hoping that their plans for later that night weren't now ruined. 

Buffy and Spike broke out into laughter as the two hurriedly rushed out of the gymnasium. "Thank you," Buffy said between gasps for air. "I really needed that tonight...to laugh at those two." 

Spike's laughter died down as he looked at Buffy, completely serious now. _I'm her "perfect date"? _He wondered, her spoken words finally sinking in. "Love?"

Buffy's laugh quieted. "What?"

"Am I really? Really your perfect date?" Spike asked, hope clear in his tone. 

Buffy grinned up at him and drew him onto the dance floor. "Yes," she softly answered him. 

~~~

The night had flown by for the class of 1999, and before long, their prom was slowly winding down with only minutes left in the evening. After their run-in with Cordelia and Scott, Buffy and Spike spent the better half of their time with Willow, Oz, Xander, and Anya on the dance floor, goofing off and generally having a good time. 

"Okay...class of 99! How is everyone doing?!" the DJ yelled into the microphone. "It's the last slow song of the night, so grab your honey and get out there on the floor!"

Buffy and Spike were sitting at their table taking a break from all the dancing they had just done. Buffy surveyed the room, glad that she had not missed out on her last high school dance. _Tonight was fun...good friends, good date, _she mentally listed. When she heard that the last song was playing, Buffy hopped up and held her hand out to Spike. 

"Dance with me?" she requested.

Spike gave her a look that said she didn't even need to ask him, and he rose to his feet, grabbing her hand and slowly leading her to the dance floor. He slid his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on his shoulders, both feeling comfortable with each other. "Are you having fun tonight, pet?"

Buffy sighed happily. "Yes," she immediately replied. "Thank you for this, Spike."

"What?"

Buffy moved her head to the side and placed her cheek against Spike's shoulder. "For asking me to prom...I know you just did it as a favor to get back at Scott and Cordy for me, but--"

"Hey, I didn't ask you *just* because of that," Spike insisted. "I would have asked you regardless of that."  


Buffy raised her head, her eyes looking into his and questioning what he had said. "Really?" Buffy studied him carefully, never realizing how deep his feelings went for her. 

"Really," Spike echoed, smiling down at her. "Now c'mon, love. It's the last dance...let's enjoy it while we still can." Spike held her firmly to his body as they circled the dance floor. 

__

Chances are I'll see you  
somewhere in my dreams tonight.  
You'll be smiling, like the night we met.  
Chances are I'll hold you,  
and I'll offer all I have.

You're the only one I can't forget.  
Baby you're the best, I've ever met.

And I'll be dreaming of the future.  
And hoping you'll be by my side.  
And in the morning  
I'll be longing for the night,  
for the night.

Buffy fully relaxed and rested her cheek against Spike's shoulder, noticing for the first time just truly how *right* this felt. She didn't know that Spike was thinking the exact same thing about being with her.

__

I want more than one bloody night holding her, dancing with her, laughing with her... Spike thought. _God, I want more of this._

Could there be more to this? Buffy questioned to herself, sighing loudly in pure enjoyment as she repositioned her hands lower on Spike's back. *_Do* I want more? _She exhaled in contentment once more as she felt Spike tighten his grip on her waist before thinking a definite _yes. _

Can there be more than this one night between us? Spike speculated, and without a doubt, Spike knew that his answer was: _yes._

~~~

Buffy trudged up the steps of Spike's doorstep, nervously wringing her hands together. A day had passed since she last talked to Spike outside the school, and she was still nowhere closer to getting those divorce papers back in her hands. _He always has to be so pig-headed, _Buffy swore to herself as she rang the doorbell, a frown appearing on her face.

Spike swung the door open, smirking when he saw who was standing on the other side. "Well, well...look what we have here?"

"Save it, Spike," Buffy spat out. "Look, I'm here for my papers."

"Now, pet-"

"I don't care if you're holding onto them for a lawyer to look over them or just trying to keep me from getting them," Buffy argued. "I just want them today. Signed."

All morning, Spike had been thinking about how he was going to keep Buffy in Sunnydale. Finally, he had come up with a foolproof plan - hit Buffy where she was weakest. "I'll tell you what, love," Spike suggested, taking a few steps out onto the porch and pausing in front of her. "How about I give those papers back to you in one week--"

"One week?" Buffy protested. "Spike--"

"*If* you still need them by then."

"What?!" Buffy groaned. "Spike, what the hell are you talking about now?"

"I think that I can talk you into coming back to Sunnyhell," Spike explained. "Give me a week, and I'll make you remember all the good times we had together, and you'll be dying to move back home to me."

Buffy let out an un-ladylike snort. "Spike, the only thing I'd be dying from in one week is your uncontrollable temper."

Spike gave her a quick, twisted smile before continuing, "Face it love. What have you been thinking about for the past four days now?"

"You!" she replied forcefully. "And your stubbornness," she quickly added.

"You haven't changed a bit," Spike remarked, rolling his eyes and getting some space from the blonde woman. "Always feel like you've got to have yourself a man, even if he may be the biggest poofter on the planet."

Buffy was hurt. "That's not true," she insisted. 

"Need I bring up Captain Cardboard? Mr. White Bread, himself?"

"How about we *not* go there, Spike," Buffy coldly suggested, crossing her arms and glaring at him. 

"Admit it, pet...you only dated Finn because of those bloody fears about not having a man in your life," Spike swore. "And now you're getting ready to marry this other poofer, when *I'm* still here."

"Spike, I love Angel now," Buffy firmly declared, hoping that Spike missed the slight hesitation in her tone.

"Yeah, tell me that again like *you* believe it this time," Spike retorted sarcastically. "Tell me, love, does he know that you're still a married woman?" He threw his hands up into the air, saying, "Bloody hell! You're wearing my...*our* ring! I *know* that I can convince you that you belong with me!"

Buffy quickly glanced down at her right hand, cursing herself for being so forgetful as to leave the ring on her hand. Then, her face grew red with anger. _How dare he? _she screaming in her mind, wanting to shout at him. Before she could control her emotions, words came flying out of her mouth. "Fine! You've got *one* week, William! One week, starting yesterday, to remind me exactly how stubborn you are!"

"Oh, I'll do more than that, love," Spike taunted. "You won't even be needing those papers in one week. I assure you."

"I wouldn't hold my breath on that one," Buffy muttered, turning on her heel. "I'll talk to you later, Spike," she called over her shoulder. 

"What? You don't want to come in for a spell?" Spike asked, opening the door in front of him.

Buffy slowly turned back around and gazed into Spike's apartment, remembering all the good times as well as the few bad times that they had had together. _Too many memories, _she told herself, not emotionally prepared to enter his home. "No, I'm just going to go grab a cup of coffee at the Expresso Pump," Buffy explained. 

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow," Spike told her before he closed the door behind him.

"I can hardly wait," Buffy grumbled under her breath as she strolled down the sidewalk heading into town.

__

Damn Spike and his stubbornness, Buffy thought to herself, trying to forget the conversation with him. But Spike's words echoed in her mind, "Always feel like you've got to have yourself a man." 

__

He just *had* to bring up Riley, didn't he? Buffy asked herself. _The other failed romance_. Truthfully, she had only taken Spike up on that bet to see what he had up his sleeve. _And now I get to spend some more time in Sunnydale, _Buffy realized, partly glad that she would be able to spend some more time in her hometown. 

Buffy stopped her furious pace and pulled out her cell phone, quickly punching in a number. "Hi, Willow?" she asked when her friend picked up on the opposite end. "Yeah...it looks as if I'm going to be staying in Sunnydale longer than I thought..."

~~~

TBC...

Once again, I am very sorry for this delay. Hopefully things will calm down in a couple of weeks. Please let me know what you thought of this part!

** __** **** ****


	8. Chapter 8

****

Home is Where the Heart Is Part 8

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Sorry this took so long to get out! (Hehe, shouldn't you guys be used to that by now?) ;)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Buffy!" Joyce Summers shouted up the stairs towards Buffy's bedroom. "Are you almost ready? Your friends will be here to pick you up in about fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, I'm almost done. Give me five more minutes," Buffy called back to her. "It's not like they'll leave without me."

School had finally come to an end! At last, Buffy was free from the ball and chain of homework, pop-quizzes, and standardized tests. Now she could concentrate on more important things, such as taking a trip to the beach that Buffy, Spike, Xander, Willow, and Oz had all agreed on several nights ago at the Bronze.

Buffy was ecstatic. The day before, all she could think about was what a great time she and the rest of her friends were going to have. _Now I can get a proper tan, _she thought. The Scoobies were picking Buffy up last since because she lived at a greater distance from the rest of them. They all planned to pile into Oz's van to drive to the beach. Okay, so they weren't exactly traveling in high-class style, but the van was the only vehicle that would hold five people and their bags. 

Buffy sauntered out of the other room wearing a thin tank top and blue beach shorts with her bikini partially visible underneath. A pair of sunglasses rested on her head and a pair white flip-flops completed her outfit.

She cleared her throat before her mother turned to face her. "Okay, so…how do I look?" she asked, spinning around for her. 

Joyce chuckled. "You look fine, dear." She walked up to Buffy and lightly kissed her forehead. "I know that you're going to have a great time today."

~~~

"Awesome! We're finally here, you guys!" Buffy shouted when Oz parked the van. After two hours of driving, everyone in the van was getting restless, and with the ocean finally in sight, the entire gang was quickly becoming antsy. "This has got to be the best idea I've ever had," she stated.

Spike gazed at the blonde sitting across from him and faintly smiled with joy. Buffy had been in a good mood all day, which automatically placed Spike in a good mood as well. Although he initially wasn't too sure about spending a day at the beach, when he heard that Buffy was going, Spike had jumped at the opportunity and been the second person to throw his hat in the ring for the trip. 

Everyone climbed out of the van and began carrying their towels and other belongings out to the ocean. Buffy chose an area of sand and spread out her beach towel next to Willow's. Willow pulled off her shorts and took off her tank top to reveal her one-piece dark blue swimsuit that was conservative yet elegant. She grabbed the ends of her beach chair and pulled it open and sank into the seat, beginning the process of applying sunscreen to her pale body. Oz silently sat down on her towel and opened their picnic basket, taking out some sandwiches and beginning to eat. They talked together, keeping their voices low. 

Xander yakned off his shirt and looked across the horizon with a goofy grin on his features. "Ah, I love the beach. Salty air. Nice, clear water. Warm sand. Nice- oh hey…food!" he observed, pointing to a hot dog vender on the boardwalk. "I'll be back later guys."

Meanwhile, to the left of where Oz and Willow were seated, in Buffy and Spike's area, Buffy started unbuttoning her shorts and sliding them down her legs. Spike's eyes stared at her body hungrily as she then removed her tank top to reveal her two-piece bikini that tied on her back and sides. As Buffy sat down, Spike threw a towel at her body. "Hey!" she protested, a frown on her face. "What gives?"

"Bloody hell woman, every man with two eyes is going to be staring at you all day long!" Spike complained, wanting that job to be reserved specifically for him alone.

"C'mon, Spike, grow up," she complained as she watched Spike pull off his shirt. _Oh my... _Buffy thought, her eyes bulging as she stared at his flat, well defined chest. 

__

Don't drool, Summers. Do *not* drool! 

Instead, Buffy threw the towel back at Spike.

~~~

If someone had seen Buffy and Spike at the beginning of their senior year, no one would have thought they'd end up as friends. Nevertheless, Spike and Buffy had grown close over the past year, especially after she had dumped Scott. Conversations between the two came naturally, and Buffy found that she was able to talk with him about anything, and he'd listen, providing support and advice. As further proof of this, one hour later, Buffy and Spike were still on her towel underneath the umbrella, discussing plans for college and their future.

Buffy happened to take a quick look down at the shoreline where she saw Willow and Oz strolling along the beach. They held hands, talking and pointing to things they saw along the seashore. Occasionally, Oz would lean over and kiss Willow quickly. It was clear that he didn't want to take things too fast for Willow. _They are *so* sweet together,_ Buffy thought. 

"Cmon, love, aren't we going to leave this umbrella at all today?" Spike asked, whining as if he were five years old. 

"I don't think so," Buffy said, not wanting to get sun burned. 

Suddenly, Spike stood up and picked her up in his arms fireman style. Holding onto her tightly, he ran down the ocean and threw her into a giant wave. Buffy screamed and jumped up, wiping the water out of her eyes. "Spike!" she screamed at him. "Oh my god, you are *so* dead, mister!" 

Buffy chased after him and pushed him under the water. However, another wave knocked her down, allowing Spike the opportunity to grab her again. Buffy squealed a second time as Spike tossed her into another wave. When Buffy made a motion to capture Spike, he ducked under the water and swam away. "Na-ah, love," Spike taunted as he moved away from her. "You have to catch me first."

"Come back here!" she shouted, diving under the water and beginning to swim back to him.

~~~

The sun had just finished setting as the gang met back up on the beach at their chosen site. While most of the people who had visited the beach earlier today had gone home at sundown, the Scoobies remained. After finding some dry driftwood scattered around the shore, Xander and Oz made a small campfire for dinner. As Oz placed some hamburgers on the grill, Xander sat down next to Spike and attempted to sing very off-key, "ROW, ROW, ROW your boat. GENTLY down the STREAM." 

"Xander! Shut up!" Both men yelled to him at once. 

"Okay, okay." Xander said, raising his hands in defense. "Both of you guys are so touchy."

"Uh huh..." Spike replied, his voice sounding distracted. Xander looked over at him and followed his gaze out to the shoreline where Buffy and Willow ran around, playing with a dog. The two girls threw a frisbee back and forth, laughing when the dog jumped up in the air and catched the toy. 

"Man, you've got it bad," Xander moaned. "And you two aren't even dating yet."

"Got what bad?" Spike asked, his eyes following Buffy as she walked past the sand dunes and towards the boardwalk, the frisbee in her grasp. He gazed at her until she disappeared behind a mound of sand before fully turning his attention towards Xander. 

"*It*!" Xander exclaimed. "C'mon, you obviously have the hots for our Buffy, right?" 

"Harris, you had better shut your mouth if you know what's good for you," Spike growled. Even though Xander knew he liked Buffy, he didn't need to state the truth out loud. 

"I keep telling you this, you'd better grab her before some other guy comes along and does," Xander suggested.

"C'mon Harris, Buffy doesn't like me. Much to my disappointment, we are just friends. Still," Spike announced, rolling his eyes at that final word.

"But it can't hurt to at least ask, right?"

"Not unless she laughs in my face! Or is disgusted, or really doesn't see anything in me," Spike rambled on. 

Xander kept pushing the subject, wanting nothing more than to see his two best friends finally together. "C'mon...all those arguments you two have had? And the prom? You remember how happy she looked that night, y'know?"

"Yeah, Harris, I know," Spike glumly replied. Of course he knew, Spike had about twenty pictures scattered around his room to remind him of that night.

"The girl *must* feel something for you, otherwise she wouldn't have put up with you so long."

"You really think so?" Spike asked, his eyebrows raising questioningly. Xander quickly nodded, hoping he had finally talked Spike into speaking with Buffy about his feelings. "Fine, but don't blame me when I say 'I told you so' about her complete lack of feelings for me," he added, rising to his feet and brushing the sand off his legs before heading towards where he'd last seen his blonde beauty.

~~~

Buffy caught the frisbee that Willow had thrown seconds earlier, squinting at the dark form in the fastly approaching darkness. She passed the frisbee back to her friend when a gust of wind suddenly picked up, throwing the frisbee off the path and veering over to the left.  
  
"I'll get it!" Willow called, running towards the frisbee.  
  
Before Willow could catch the flying disc, however, it collided into a tall, broad-shouldered man that was walking along the boardwalk. "Hey!" he cried, rubbing his head where the frisbee had hit him.  
  
"Oh my god," Buffy cursed, running up to Willow and the man. "I am *so* sorry," she apologized.  
  
"Are you okay?" Willow asked, concern evident in her features.  
  
"Yeah...as soon as this pounding headache goes away, I should be just fine," he said jokingly.   
  
"I'm sorry," Buffy repeated. "I just...well, Buffy and frisbees are just very un-mixy things."  
  
"That's fine," the brown-haired man assured her. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners in all the concussion. I'm Riley, by the way."  
  
"I'm Buffy," she introduced. "And this is Willow."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Willow greeted, giving Riley a shy smile. "Buffy...don't you think that we should get back over to the gang? I think they were planning something like a cookout before we head back home."  
  
Buffy smiled at Riley before turning to her friend. "How about I join you guys in a few?" she suggested.  
  
"All right," Willow agreed, before heading away from the two.  
  
After Willow disappeared over a sand dune, Buffy turned back to Riley. "So...are you a local fellow?" she questioned.  
  
"Sort of. I'm originally from Iowa," Riley explained. "But I'm here for at least the next year to finish up college. I go to UC Sunnydale."  
  
Buffy instantly brightened. "Oh, really? That's where Willow and I are going to be attending this fall. We're freshman, and you are...?"  
  
"A senior."   
  
_Wow, I don't even *attend* UC Sunnydale yet and I'm already talking to a senior_, Buffy thought in amazement. She craned her neck upward to meet Riley's eyes, cursing her shortness. _Spike's not this tall_, she told herself before purging that thought from her mind. _No...concentrate on Riley, Buffy_. "So, should I be worried about the teachers?"  
  
"No, I'm sure you'll be fine," Riley assured her. "Just as long as you haven't signed up for psychology, anyway."  
  
"Psychology?" Buffy repeated, the blood draining from her face. "With Maggie Walsh?" She groaned before adding, "I signed up for that course."   
  
"I took that class my freshman year," Riley informed her. "It was a struggle to get through, so maybe I can help you out."  
  
"Maybe..." Buffy wished, her tone filled with hope. "Look, I better get back over to my friends before they send out a search party to find me."  
  
"All right," Riley began before bending down and picking up the yellow frisbee. "But how about one quick game of frisbee first?" he suggested.   
  
Buffy smiled up at the polite man. "Sure." She raced back to a spot several yards from Riley and caught the frisbee. She sent the disc spinning back to him and laughed aloud when Riley fell on the sand, failing to catch the toy.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Spike gracefully dashed over a hill of sand, his eyes searching for Buffy. He had seen Willow walking back towards the group on the way over to the boardwalk, and he grinned when he realized that Buffy was now by herself. Now all he had to do was figure out exactly what to say to her.  
  
However, the grin fell from his face when he saw Buffy tearing along the sand with a tall stranger. She was holding a frisbee, obviously playing a game of keep-away with him. He picked up his pace and ran up behind her, grabbing Buffy around the waist and spinning her around several times before taking the frisbee out of her hands and racing down the beach.  
  
_So much for telling Buffy about my feelings_, Spike thought with regret_. What do you know? Harris was right about something...I should have gotten to her sooner to keep some other bloke from getting there first_. He turned on his heels and slowly trudged back to their camping spot on the beach.  
  
"Look, you guys," he regretfully said when he approached the three sitting on the sand. "I think I'm going to head home now."  
  
Xander and Oz looked up at Spike with confusion in their eyes. "What happened, man?" Xander asked. "You couldn't find Buffy?"  
  
"Buffy?" Willow questioned. "What did he want with Buffy?" She looked over at Oz for an answer.  
  
"Yeah...uh, things didn't go right," Spike explained, bending down and picking up his shirt and bag. "So, I think it's time to call it a night. Tell Buffy...tell her whatever you want."   
  
"Bummer," Oz noted as Spike trudged away from the gang.   
  
"What?" Willow asked, her confusion evident.  
  
"Spike went to find Buffy to ask her out or something," Xander explained. "Our friend has a serious thing for Buffy. I was hoping that he'd finally tell her."  
  
"Ohh..." Willow sighed. Then, her eyes widened as she "oooh"ed again. "Oh man, she was over there flirting with this guy...Riley was his name."  
  
Xander rolled his eyes. "Who?" He started, "That farm-boy who is quickly approaching now?"  
  
Willow, Oz, and Xander looked to their left at Buffy and the man beside her who were slowly approaching the small circle of friends. "Hey, guys," Buffy greeted. "I want all of you to meet Riley."  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
When college started for Willow, Oz, and Buffy, life seemed almost normal again. Spike had buried his feelings for Buffy deep down in the bottom of his heart, assuming that he'd never have another chance now that she was dating Riley.  
  
_Riley Finn._  
  
Spike had started referring to him as Captain Cardboard when he found out just exactly how boring and straightlaced he really was. Willow, Oz, and Xander only tolerated Riley since Buffy was their friend, but no one in the group understood why she was dating him when Spike had obvious affection towards her.   
  
At the beginning, Spike had hopes that Buffy and Riley's relationship would be a mere fling and wouldn't last longer than a month. However, when Buffy and Riley reached their sixth month point, Spike's hope began to fade.   
  
Before, at least Buffy had been his friend and tolerated him most of the time, but since she now spent all of her time with Riley, he had no contact with her at all. 

Now he was desperate to find some way to get her back, which explained what he was doing at a fraternity house at one in the morning, standing behind some bushes and spying inside. Recently, he had seen Riley leaving Buffy's dorm with a frustrated look on his features before immediately walking back to the neighboring Lowell house. Although he wasn't one hundred percent positive, Spike had assumed that Buffy hadn't yet slept with the man. Maybe there was still hope for him after all. _At least it's for a good purpose_, Spike reminded himself.   
  
Spike stared past the stair banister inside, wondering what Riley was doing in a frat house that he didn't even belong to at 1:00 AM. _Something isn't right here_, Spike realized. Spike stealthily approached the front door and checked to see if the door was locked or not. Finding that it was unlocked, he snuck inside, heading towards the basement where he had last seen Riley head.   
  
Standing at the top of the stairs in the doorway, he glanced past the banister, his eyes widening in shock. _What the bloody hell?!_ he wildly asked himself.   
  
Riley and a few other men lay in the middle of the room with several women surrounding them. Riley lay in the middle of the circle, a woman resting in his lap moving back and forth, grinding her hips against his. He moaned and rolled his eyes back in ecstasy.  
  
_Bloody hell_, Spike thought, his anger rising through the roof._ How dare he cheat on Buffy. Hasn't this girl gone through enough? _But then his anger faded when he remembered that there was an incredibly beautiful blonde sleeping in her bed at the dorm without a clue of what her boyfriend actually did after she fell asleep. _God, she's going to be heartbroken,_ Spike realized as he turned around and silently exited the Lowell House.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Spike sprinted from the fraternity house across the campus to Buffy and Willow's dorm room without stopping. He paused outside the door to catch his breath before quietly opening the door. He looked inside at Willow's made bed, thinking, _Red must be spending some time with Oz tonight_. Not wanting to surprise Buffy, he whispered her name. When he didn't get a response, he raised his volume a little bit louder.  
  
Buffy turned from her side over to her back, the sheets slipping down to just above the swell of her breasts. _Bloody hell, maybe coming by her dorm room wasn't the best idea_. "Willow?" she questioned sleepily.  
  
"It's me," Spike softly announced.  
  
_Spike_! Well, that woke Buffy up. She quickly sat up, holding the sheet to her chest. "You are risking all of your parts by showing up like this, you know that, Spike?"  
  
Spike rolled his eyes at her anger. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a good reason," Spike explained. "Surprisingly enough, I'm here to help you, and I - are you naked under there?"  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes as she brought her hand up to her shoulder and tugged on the thin straps resting on her shoulders. "Get out, Spike. It's too late to be dealing with you right now."  
  
"No, I'm serious. I mean, not about the naked part, since...well, I mean..." Spike tilted his head to stare at the blonde sitting before him.  
  
"Get out or I will *make* you get out," Buffy threatened.  
  
Spike lowered his voice, his tone becoming very intense. "I want to show you something," he explained.  
  
Buffy realized that he was not joking around, and asked him, "What is it?"  
  
"You need to see this," Spike explained. After hearing a loud sigh escape Buffy's lips, he added, "But we need to move if we wanna get there in time." 

  
Buffy raised her eyebrows to indicate that she wasn't going to climb out of bed and get changed while Spike watched. When Spike realized what she was hinting at, he scoffed. "Oh, please! Like I give a bloody damn," he complained, turning around. He listened to the sound of ruffling sheets and held back a groan, imagining what she looked like.  
  
  
  
~~~  
  
"Okay, Spike...what was the big importance of dragging me out of bed at two in the morning?" Buffy complained as the two walked down a sidewalk along the edge of the campus.  
  
"I'll show you as soon as we get there, love," Spike said. 

"Fine."

"I noticed Willow wasn't in tonight," Spike commented, changing the subject.  
  
"Yeah, she wasn't in the dorm when I got in this evening either," Buffy said. "I guess she's at a study group or something-"  
  
"Bullocks. She's obviously with Oz," Spike explained. "Just goes to show you that you don't know jack about what's going on in your friends' lives anymore."  
  
"What? Of course I do," Buffy complained. "Willow is with Oz, Xander is going solo right now--"

"Wrong, love...he's with Anya again," Spike corrected her. "See? You've been spending so much time with Mr. Whitebread that you have lost touch with everyone else," Spike pointed out. "Including me."  
  
"At least I *have* a boyfriend," Buffy replied. "What have you been doing?   
  
_I've been trying to chase after you_, Spike thought to himself, unable to come up with a witty comeback. Instead, he continued leading Buffy towards the Lowell House, hoping that Riley would still be inside. "C'mon, love."  
  
"The Lowell House?" Buffy questioned as they walked up the front steps. "What are we doing here?"  
  
"I told you. I have something I need to show you," Spike told her for the third time tonight as he opened the door and ushered her inside.  
  
"Spike, I swear...if this is just a poor attempt to spend some time with me, then I'm gone," Buffy complained, walking through the doorway.  
  
"The basement," Spike ordered as he stepped in behind her. He followed Buffy over to the door and watched as she opened the door.   
  
"Spike?" Buffy questioned. "What is going on here?"  
  
"Just go down there and look," Spike demanded. Now more than ever, he wanted to get back at Riley for doing this to Buffy behind her back.  
  
Buffy took a few tentative steps down the basement steps. Spike followed a few steps behind her and watched her face as she gasped in surprise. "Oh god..." she breathed.   
  
Riley, from the middle of the floor, gazed up at his girlfriend standing on the steps, a confused and shocked expression on her face. "Buffy!" He softly gasped, pushing away the woman that sat in his lap.  
  
"Oh god..." she repeated, turning on her heel and running back up the stairs. She pushed Spike out of her path and ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her.  
  
"Buffy!" Riley screeched, standing up and heading Buffy's direction. "What the hell were you doing bringing her here!?" Riley shouted at Spike as he ran up the stairs.   
  
"Showing her what she needed to see," Spike declared, smirking back up at Riley. "How dare you do this to her...how *could* you do this to her?"  
  
"Hey, what Buffy didn't know wasn't going to get in our way." Riley told him, as if it were that simple. 

In a flash, Spike released his fist and punched Riley on the left side of his jaw.  
  
"You bastard," Spike cursed. Without waiting to see what Riley was going to say, he pivoted and stalked out of the basement, running*** to catch up with Buffy.  
  
He didn't have to search for long. He found Buffy perching on the edge of the sidewalk with her head in her hands, crying. "I thought you should know," Spike explained, looking down at her.  
  
Buffy raised her tear-stained face, her eyes displaying clear anger and confusion. "How could you? How could you show this to me?"  
  
"What? Would you have rather gone another six months without knowing that he was cheating on you every night?" Spike asked in amazement.  
  
"Maybe..." Buffy softly responded with a nervous and unsure tone. Buffy lowered her eyes to the ground before she unexpected chuckled coldly. "How come whenever some guy breaks up with me, you're always around?"  
  
"I don't know, love. I guess I just always happen to be in the right place at the right time," Spike guessed. He bent down on his knees and took Buffy's hands, tenderly squeezing them. "Please don't cry over him, love. He's not worth it."  
  
_I rushed it, didn't I?_ she asked herself. _Riley was just a rebound guy, and look how badly I screwed things up. _Buffy choked back another sob. "I thought he was...just like I thought Scott was."   
  
"Ahh, I see," Spike acknowledged. "I think you were just trying to convince everyone...including yourself, that you were over Scott." He waited as Buffy slowly nodded. "Look, it takes some time to get over a guy, that's natural. You aren't expected to jump right back into the dating pool right away, love."  
  
"You are eerily perceptive sometimes," Buffy stated, making Spike lightly chuckle. "But...you understand?" _Just like you understood when Scott and I broke up?_ she thought.  
  
"Of course, love, I understand," Spike insisted. "What I don't understand is why you get together with these guys that treat you like shit. You deserve *so* much more than that."  
  
Buffy snorted. "What, you up for the job?" she asked sarcastically. But when she looked across into his eyes, she noticed how sincere he looked, as if he was getting ready to say "yes." Quickly, she averted her eyes from looking into his and desperately searched for some way to change the topic. 

Spike had become one of her closest friends since he had asked her to prom because he was the only one who ever knew the real reason why she and Scott broke up. And now things were so tight between the two of them. 

When had things changed? 

__

Things changed the night of the prom, A voice inside of her head clarified. _The night that you realized you wanted more with him...Yeah, do you remember that? What ever happened to that epiphany?_  
  
"Buffy..." Spike began, his eyes glazing over with desire as he stared at the beautiful woman before him. _No, mate...don't screw this up. It's too soon, _he tried to warn himself. He moved his face closer to hers as his eyes traveled down to her lips...  
  
Buffy saw what he was getting ready to do and quickly moved away. "I've got to go," Buffy whispered, rising to her feet and running off into the night before Spike could stop her. She was unsure of what might have happened between them if she had stayed any longer, and that's what frightened her the most.  
  
~~~

TBC...

Thank you all for sticking with me on these long days/weeks without any new parts...thank you SO much for all the kind reviews. I really hope you are all enjoying the flashbacks. I'm having fun writing them, so I hope you're looking forward to more! (But we will check back in with Buffy and Spike in the present-day timeline VERY soon!)


	9. Chapter 9

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 9

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

****

Buffy slapped her five cards on the table and grinned. "Ha! Full House!" she gloated, reaching over and taking the pile of chips in the center of the table.

Spike groaned and threw down his cards. "Well, I'll be damned. I think that I've finally managed to turn you into a half-decent card player, love."

"Well, after five months of learning, I better be improving by now," Buffy muttered, stacking up a column of blue coins beside her white ones.

Almost five months had passed since the night when Spike had shown Buffy what Riley was doing in his spare time. Buffy had "officially" broken up with Riley the next afternoon before running back to Spike's place and bawling her eyes out in the comfort of his arms. 

After that, they habitually met together without their other friends tagging along. Spike continued to see the woman he secretly loved, and Buffy made a new best friend all over again. 

However, in the last couple of months, Buffy and Spike had become unusually close, nearing that line between just being friends and something more. 

They'd often walk around the campus or to the Bronze with their arms entwined as if they were dating, and every once in a while, Buffy would flirtatiously press a light kiss on Spike's cheek. For Spike, things were finally starting to look brighter. She seemed to have healed and moved on from Riley. Was she finally ready for someone new?

Spike gathered the cards in his hands and shuffled them as he asked her, "So, love, got any plans for tomorrow night? Got yourself a hot date?" _God, I hope not, _he thought to himself. 

"Well," Buffy began as she picked her freshly dealt cards off the table. "I think Willow and Oz were talking about going to the Bronze."

"After all, what else is there to do in this god-forsaken town?"

"Exactly," Buffy agreed. The two played their hand in silence, and as Buffy grabbed the pile of chips in the center of the table, she nervously asked, "Uh...do -- do you want to come with me tomorrow?"

Spike's heart jumped and his eyes widened. "What...like a--"

"Well, it's just that it'll be Willow and Oz, and then Xander and Anya, and it's better when there's an even number," Buffy explained. "So, are you interested?"

__

In you? Always, love, Spike wanted to say. "Yeah, sure," he replied instead. 

"Oh, thank you!" Buffy leaned over and threw her arms around him, momentarily forgetting herself. "I hate being the fifth wheel at these get togethers."

Spike nodded in agreement, saying, "I understand that, love."

"I know." Buffy grinned and sat back, reaching across the floor to grab her purse before looking down at her watch. "Well, before I steal all of your money, I'd better be getting back to the dorm. I've got some studying to do still," she explained, jumping up to her feet.

"What time are you meeting?" Spike questioned as he followed her to the door.

"Around eight," Buffy answered. "So, I'll see you there?"

"Definitely."

"Thank you, Spike," Buffy said with sincerity. She bent forward and quickly kissed his cheek, instantly feeling that unspoken connection that the two of them shared. Before she could reason with herself, she drew herself forward and kissed him on the lips. 

__

Buffy, Buffy, Buffy... Spike sighed, running his hands along her back as he pressed his lips against hers. 

__

Ooh...Spike Lips, she thought, her mind dazed in ecstasy. _What the hell am I doing?! _Buffy asked herself in shock. "Okay...I've really got to get home," she said, pulling away from him. 

Spike looked at her with a confused expression written on his face. _I'm going to regret asking this, I'm sure of it. _"Why do you keep doing this, love?"

"What?"

"Why do you always have to run away from this?" he demanded, only partly wanting to hear her answer.

"I'm not running, Spike...I -- I can't let you in," Buffy said, starting to get upset. "I just can't."

Spike paused, summoning every ounce of courage he possessed within himself. "I love you," he said truthfully and forcefully, staring into her eyes. _C'mon, Buffy, say it back, _he thought. 

Buffy's eyes widened when she heard Spike say those three words aloud. Sure, she had suspected for a while now that Spike had been acting too friendly towards her, but she never suspected his feelings went that deep. 

"Honestly, I'm not surprised to hear that, Spike, but right now I just can't concentrate on that," Buffy announced, trying to push away the feelings that were starting to surface within her. 

"So what? You're just going to ignore what's been going on between us?"

"What exactly _is _going on between us, Spike?"

"I love you, and you refuse to let me in," Spike clarified. "Buffy, I know you better than you know yourself. I have seen the real woman inside, and I love her. Please don't shut me out."

"Spike, I'm sorry...I just -- just don't feel the same way about you," she managed to stutter. 

"Bullocks," Spike protested. "Now who is lying through their teeth?"

"Spike, I'm being serious here!"

"So am I."

"You just wouldn't understand what's going on."

"Then, why don't you tell me?"

__

Why can't he just give up already? Buffy asked herself in exasperation, his never-ending persistence angering her to no end. "Tell you what? Where do you want me to begin, Spike? Do you want me to start when I was seven and my father deserted my mother and me? Or what about Scott? Or do you want me to begin with Riley? Oh...wait, you already know about them. Tell me, where do you want me to start?"

"It's okay; I understand," Spike spoke calmly. "Look, love, I know what's going on. You're afraid of being hurt again. You feel that if you open your heart to another bloke, and he breaks it, then you're never going to get past that."

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't give me a lesson in psychology, Spike!" Buffy shouted. "I know how my mind works; you don't."

"Then, why won't you at least give me a bloody chance?"

"Because I can't!" she screeched. "Every time I do, they leave me, and I *can't* do that again. Scott, Riley, my father...they all left me, and every time one of them left, it killed me a little bit more."

Spike shook his head, pitying*** the insecure woman standing in front of him. "Love, they're all bastards for leaving someone as amazing as you," Spike insisted. "Look, Buffy, I'm not them. I'd *never* leave you; you've got to believe that. I mean, you've been trying to get rid of me since the beginning of our senior year in high school, and I'm still here."

"You're still here *now*," Buffy argued. "But you just wait until--"

"Buffy, you've got to let me in," Spike pleaded. "You've been giving your friends the cold shoulder, distancing yourself from everyone, and...well, that's not like the old Buffy Summers that I know and love." 

"Fine, then stop loving me, okay?" Buffy said*** as she attempted to push past him and get away from his intense glare.

"No, look, don't go storming out of here when you're so mad," Spike gently commanded, grabbing onto her arm as he spoke. "We can talk this out."

"I think that I've said everything that needed to be said," Buffy declared, twisting her arm out of Spike's hand, and walking out the door. 

~~~

Buffy entered the Bronze, smiling at the familiar sight of the stage, the crowded dance floor, and the bar in the far right corner. _I really have missed this place; I'll admit that, _Buffy thought to herself as she traveled deeper into the darkened atmosphere.

"Buffy Summers!?" a familiar voice questioned behind her. 

Buffy spun around, her eyes bulging when she saw the woman standing in front of her. "Ohmigod! Anya!" She quickly stepped forward and hugged the brunette. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" Anya announced, smiling widely. "And look at you! You look great!"

"Thanks, so you do," Buffy complimented. 

Anya leaned in closer to talk with Buffy privately. "Is it really true? Rupert told me that you're divorcing Spike and marrying Angel O'Connor."

Buffy's features clouded over in confusion. "Wait...when did you talk to Giles about this?" 

Anya's eyebrows raised, and she nervously bit her lower lip. "Well, I guess Spike failed to mention who his father was dating."

"Dating? Ohh..." Buffy realized, taking a second to let that new bit of information sink in. Buffy let out a chuckle before saying, "Boy...when you were dating Xander, I never would have thought that you would have ended up with Giles."

"Oh, tell me about it," Anya agreed. "Anyway, details please!"

"Yes, Anya...I'm here to get a divorce from Spike," Buffy acknowledged. "He's being pig-headed, as usual, and now I'm stuck here for a week, trying to get those damn papers signed."

"Why a week?"

"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "Spike says he's got some plan to keep me here. I think I know what his game is, but I'm still not sure."

Anya's gaze traveled past Buffy as the smile disappeared from her features. "Well, good luck with that," she murmured.

"Thanks." Buffy quickly glanced to see where Anya was staring and sighed in exasperation when she saw a bleached blonde head heading her way. 

"How about a dance, love?" Spike asked, a hopeful smile on his face.

"How about not?" Buffy retorted, starting to stalk away from him.

Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him before she could get away. "Now, now, love," Spike teasingly scolded. "I think a bloke who asks politely and all that rot, deserves a dance."

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. *One* dance."

Spike led her out onto the dance floor and spun her around before latching his grip onto her waist and pressing her tightly against him. _Figures there had to be a slow song on when he asks me to dance, _Buffy thought, marveling at the irony. 

"How come you didn't tell me about Anya and Giles?" Buffy wondered.

Spike glared at her as if she were insane. "Do you have any idea how incredibly awkward it is? To say that your father is dating someone that's the exact age of his son?"

"Can't say that I do," Buffy admitted.

"Well, that's why I didn't tell you, love," Spike explained. "It's just too bloody weird."

"But Anya seemed happy," Buffy thought aloud.

"Oh, she is. Both of them...they're incredibly happy together. Harris is still getting used to the idea, but since he hooked up with Cordelia, he hasn't minded too much," Spike elucidated. _What do you know? We're actually having a civilized conversation for once._

"Talk about unexpected couples," Buffy muttered underneath her breath. "I never thought that I would ever see Cordelia and Xander together. He deserves so much better than her."

"Cordy isn't like she was back in high school anymore," Spike said defensively. "She's grown a lot...realized she did some bad, selfish things back then."

__

Like trying to go after you numerous times? Buffy wanted to ask him. 

"But then again, you and I were an 'unexpected couple,' as you termed them," Spike noted, shooting a quick glance down at her to see if he would get a reaction to that. 

"Spike--"

"C'mon, love, admit it. We had some good times here, didn't we?"

Buffy shook her head and took a small step away from him, placing some distance between their bodies as they danced. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work, Spike."

"Oh really?" Spike raised a scarred eyebrow as he asked, "What am I doing, love?"

"You're trying to remind me of all of the happy times that we shared when we were dating, hoping that you'll be able to talk me into staying with you," Buffy clarified.

"Love, I'm appalled," Spike sarcastically answered her. "Why on earth would I do something like that?"

"C'mon, Spike...I know you too well to fall for something like this."

Spike smirked at the small blonde before asking, "So...you wouldn't feel anything ...anything at all? If I reminded you of that corner over there and that night you saw me with Cordelia?"

Buffy stopped dancing when she heard what Spike said. _Of course, he just *had* to bring that up too, _she bitterly thought to herself. "You really know how to ruin the mood of a good dance," she grumbled, breaking away from Spike's grasp and turning from him. 

Buffy reached for her coat and headed out the door, forcing herself to not look back at her husband. 

~~~

Buffy roamed the Bronze with a drink in her hand as she watched Willow and Oz dance on the floor. Xander and Anya were perched at a table, no doubt deep in one of their many arguements. 

__

How pathetic am I? Buffy questioned. _I'm a fifth wheel tonight -- again!. _

Because of her argument with Spike last night, she hadn't been counting on him showing up at the Bronze to be with her any time soon. _I really screwed that up, didn't I? _

Buffy strolled up to a table, placing her drink on the tabletop before spinning around in the chair. She cast her eyes to the door, wondering if she should just call it a night and head back to the dorms. After all, there wasn't anything else better that she could be doing here. 

Buffy's eyes swept past the entrance again, and she almost fell out of her chair when she saw who had arrived. _Spike! He came! _she realized with joy. _Spike actually showed up. _Buffy stood and started toward him, pushing her way through the massive sea of people around her. _I really need to apologize to him, _she reminded herself as she neared him.

Then, a tall, brown-haired woman swooped by and dragged Spike by the arm behind the curtains of beads. 

__

Cordelia, Buffy coldly thought. _God, that girl just doesn't know the meaning of "give up," does she? Look at her, she's already trying to move in on Spike again. _

She picked up her pace and followed Cordelia and Spike, preparing to unleash "Buffy The Bitch" if necessary. However, the sight before her eyes made her freeze in shock. Spike and Cordelia stood leaning against the wall at the back end of the Bronze locked in a passionate embrace. Cordelia's arms were wrapped tightly around Spike's waist as she forcefully kissed him. What was even more surprising was that he was returning her actions with equal ardor.

Fighting back tears, Buffy spun around and started half-running, half-walking towards the exit. _Well, I guess I know the *real* reason why Spike came here tonight_. 

~~~

Buffy trudged back to her mother's house, planning on spending the night there instead of being by herself in the doom room. When she tread through the doorway, Buffy was blown away with the delicious aromas of her mother's cooking. "Mmm, something smells good," Buffy called, wiping away the half-dried tears from her cheeks.

"Honey?" Joyce exclaimed from the kitchen. "I'm in here."

Buffy walked into the kitchen and sat in a stool at the counter. "That smells great, what is it?"

"Oh, actually...it's something that William fixed for me the other night," Joyce explained. "It's some...chicken lasagna or something. Do you want to try some?"

Buffy scoffed. "Spike made it? No thank you." 

Joyce walked over to stand in front of her daughter with a frown on her face. "Buffy? Is everything okay? You look as if you've been--"

"Crying, yeah, I know," Buffy glumly replied. "I just found out that I didn't know Spike as well as I thought I did."

"What did he do, honey?"

"I caught him making out with Cordelia Chase, the local whore--"

"Buffy, language," Joyce warned. She shook her head in disbelief, obviously not believing what Buffy was telling her. "William...*our* William really did this?"

Buffy nodded. "Yep. I thought that he was coming to the Bronze to see me, and then Cordelia snatched him away before I could get up to him."

"Well, maybe you just don't know the whole story," Joyce suggested. "There is probably some logical explanation why William would--"

"What? His lips just *fell* on her's?" Buffy shook her head forcefully. "I don't think so." 

"It can't hurt to ask him about it," her mother stated. 

Buffy climbed off the stool and rubbed her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered, turning around walking out of the room. "Guys can be such jerks some times."

  
~~~

Thinking that Spike owed her an reasonable clarification for what she had seen at the Bronze, Buffy headed over to Mr. Giles' house the next evening. She had spent all day thinking about what they had both said to each other the day before. 

For one thing, Buffy had realized that Scott and Riley had hurt her more than she wanted to admit to. Spike was right about how she refused to open her heart to anyone. 

Most importantly, Buffy had figured out that what she was trying to disguise as friendship with him had turned into something more than that a long time ago. She knew that she didn't truly love Spike yet, but Buffy also knew that the possibility that she might eventually love him was very real. 

Before, she just didn't want to admit her true feelings for him, but now that she was finally ready, she was too late anyway. Now, faced with all of this newly discovered information about herself, Buffy had to take action. 

"Spike?" she tentatively asked once she opened the door to his bedroom.

Spike peered over the top of the book he was reading and quickly sat up on his bed. "Nice of you to *knock* before inviting yourself inside my room," he spoke coldly. 

She lowered her head. "Your father let me in," she explained.

"Well, then I hope that he can show you the way out, also."

Buffy winced, knowing very well that she deserved every cruel word from him. "I know that I probably shouldn't have come, but I needed to..."

"What?" Spike voice revealed deep anger and undisguised hurt. "What did you want, Buffy?"

"I wanted to be with you that summer before college started," Buffy spoke softly, unable to meet his eyes. "On prom night, I wanted to be with you."

Spike paused, now unsure of what to say to her. "Well, so much for that plan, right, love? After all, you looked mighty friendly with Riley that day at the beach."

Buffy shook her head in protest. "No, we were just joking around that day. I don't know what you saw, but we were just goofing off. I was still hoping that you'd..." Her voice died out.

"So this is *my* fault now?" Spike retorted, rising from the bed and striding toward her. "Look, what's done is done, we can't do anything about it now."

"Yeah, I know that…now," she whispered. She cleared her throat and raised her tear-filled eyes to look at his azure ones. "Look, I just hope you'll be happy with Cordelia."

"What?" Spike asked, incredulous at her words. "I... I didn't-"

"What? Oh, so you *weren't* making out with her last night at the Bronze?" Buffy asked bitterly. "Oh, or you were walking down the steps, tripped, and your lips just happened to fall on her's?"

Spike shook his head. _Unbelievable, _he thought. "As usual, pet, you don't know the whole story."

"Then why don't you explain it?"

"C'mon, Buffy! That chit has been after me since high school. I wasn't interested then, and I'm not interested now. What's it going to take to make you believe that?"

Buffy stared at him in disbelief. "So...you and she aren't--"

"Together? No, love," Spike assured her. "Honestly, I was hoping that you'd be interested in filling that position."

Buffy chuckled, not believing that she had jumped to conclusions about Cordelia and Spike once again. "You're right," Buffy started. "God, you're right about everything that you told me."

"About..."

"I'm afraid to get hurt. I- I am just so afraid that if I love someone ever again, then I- I won't be able to get over you," she said as quietly as possible. "Uh...him."

"Buffy," Spike started, taking a few steps closer towards her. He forced her to gaze up into his eyes. "Do you love me?"

"Spike..." she warned. 

"Do you?"

"I...I don't know," Buffy finally confessed. "I'm just so confused about how I feel for you right now."

Spike wrapped his arms around her. "It'll be okay," he stated simply.

"I know." Buffy knew within her heart that Spike would make everything okay. She took a deep breath before continuing, "But, I'd really like to find out how I feel for you, Spike."

"What?"

Buffy tentatively smiled up at him, drawing away from him so that he'd know she was serious. "I think that I could fall in love with you very easily, William," she answered, saying his name in a sweet and endearing tone for the first time ever. 

Spike's face lit up, and his smile must have stretched from one ear to the other. He immediately threw his arms around Buffy and hugged her tightly. "That's all I need, love."

__

Hope. 

"Well, I know that I didn't exactly profess my undying love for you, but...aren't you going to kiss me now?" Buffy innocently asked.

"Yes ma'am," Spike replied with equal levity. He cupped the palm of her cheek in his hand and lightly ran his thumb across her lips before lowering his face to hers. Buffy responded instantaneously, and the two shared the sweetest kiss that either one of them had ever experienced in their entire existence. 

~~~

TBC...

Thank you all for the feedback...sorry that some of you aren't enjoying the flashbacks, but they are an important part of their story. Except for that, please let me know what you think so far! Any feedback is appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

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Home is Where the Heart Is Part 10

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

WOW! Thanks for all the extra encouragement and kind words. Thank you!

Also, I'm sorry for the late delay of this part. Truthfully, I've had this part written up since Tuesday evening, BUT since I "violated ff.net's guidelines" with my story "Returning," which got pulled from the site, I wasn't allowed to upload anything until now b/c they locked my account. I'm ready to really protest now. They also deleted Desire (The Matchmaker author) and Gillian Silverlight!!! OK, sorry...enough ranting, on with the story!

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"Spike?" Buffy hollered, pushing open her boyfriend's front door and taking a few hesitant steps inside. "Ooh, something smells good," she noted aloud as she crossed the foyer and headed into the living room.

"Is that you, love?" a British voice rang out from the kitchen. "Just a second --oh, bloody hell!" 

Buffy giggled at Spike's cursing. _No doubt at a pot of sauce that isn't cooperating with him, _she thought to herself as she sat down to wait for him on the couch. She quickly glanced down at the coffee table in front of her, noticing several magazines and torn out newspaper ads scattered around the surface. 

Buffy looked at the circled and "x"ed ads more carefully and noticed that they were for apartments. _Wait...Spike is moving, and he didn't even tell me? _she asked herself in surprise. Reaching out, Buffy grabbed the first piece of paper her hand touched, and she traveled into the kitchen, a scowl on her face. 

"When were you going to tell me you were going to move?" she asked from the doorway.

Standing at the stove, Spike cast a brief look towards her. "What are you talking about, love?"

"This." Buffy held up the slip of paper in front of her. 

Spike wiped his hands clean with a dishrag approaching Buffy. He leaned forward and lightly pressed a kiss on her forehead before stepping back to examine what she held in her hand. "Oh, that? Well...I was just thinking it was about time for me to get myself a new place."

"Oh...," Buffy lowered her eyes, nervously asking, "so...you were just going to tell me after you moved?"

"No, honestly, I was hoping that you'd help me pick out some furniture and other trinkets for the place," Spike suggested. "After all, I figured you could help add a woman's touch to the place, seeing as...I'm hoping you'd want to move in to the new place with me."

Buffy's eyes widened. _Sure we've been dating for almost a year --_ _eleven months in two weeks, _Buffy reminded herself, _but...moving in? _That would be a big step in their relationship. "Really?" she tentatively asked.

Spike nodded. "Well, you're over here almost all of the time anyway...don't need a use for bed of yours in the dorm anymore." He smirked at that, before continuing, "And...I love you. Shouldn't that be enough to convince you, love?"

Buffy laughed and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "I love you too, Spike."

Spike locked himself within her embrace as his mouth swooped down to capture hers. _God, it's almost been six months since she first told me those words and I'm still never tired of hearing it, _Spike thought in amazement. Eventually, albeit reluctantly, the two parted a few inches as Spike asked, "So, is that a yes?"

Her face beamed with pure joy, and she lightly bounced up and down a couple of times. "Of course, it's a yes, Spike!" 

"Ooh, goodie," Spike teased, relieved that she had agreed to his plan. 

Again, his arms encircled her waist, one hand against the small of her back and the other resting on the back of her head, his fingers gently running through Buffy's loose hair. Buffy buried her face in his neck, lightly breathing a kiss there as she closed her eyes. _God, I love this man, _she swore to herself. 

However, before the couple could get any further, the oven timer ringing interrupted the two. 

"Scoot," Spike ordered, playfully shoving her out of the kitchen. "I'll call you when everything is ready."

"All right," Buffy said, backing out of the kitchen. 

~~~

"And dinner is served," Spike announced, laying a steaming plate of pasta in front of Buffy before walking over to the other end of the table with his own plate of food in hand.

"It smells great, Spike." She picked up her fork and dug into the noodles.

"Well, it better be. I worked and slaved in the kitchen all day for our dinner," Spike drawled. 

"Oh, c'mon, Spike. You know you don't mind doing that, *especially* for me," Buffy insisted before stuffing another forkful of food into her mouth. 

Now that the two were dating and Buffy was aware of what a superb cook Spike was, Buffy had become a regular at Spike's small apartment during dinnertime. Not that Spike was complaining; he loved spending as much as time with her as possible. 

"You love doing stuff like this," Buffy continued. _And I definitely do *not* mind being your taste tester, _Buffy mentally added to herself.

"That I do, pet, that I do," Spike admitted. 

Buffy "mmh"ed and closed her eyes briefly. "It's just that, when I first met you back then, I had *no* idea that you were such a good cook," she began. "If I keep eating over here, I'm going to get so fat -- not that I want you to stop cooking for me or anything, but--"

"You're babbling, Buffy," Spike interrupted, smiling over at her. _I just love it when she does that, _Spike noted. "Anyway, what's you're point, pet?" 

"Point?" Buffy shrugged. "Well, I was just wondering if you had ever thought about doing this for a living?"

"Come again?" Spike asked.

"I mean, you should start your own restaurant," Buffy clarified. "You're good enough to get good business, I'm sure of it." _I'd eat there every day._

"Love, I'm flattered, but--"

"Ooh!" Buffy jumped up in her seat in excitement. "You should start a restaurant and call it something completely crazy..." She cracked a smile before continuing. "Something like 'The Silver Spoon' or something."

Spike chuckled, "'The Silver Spoon', huh? Now there's an interesting name."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and went back to cutting up her dinner. "Well, it's just a suggestion..." She looked across the table at him, asking, "But you'll think about it?"

In all honesty, since the night of the high school prom, Spike's ambitions and hopes of possibly running his own restaurant had only increased. Now, with Buffy's added support maybe he should start turning his dream into reality.

"Yeah, love, I'll think about it."

~~~

While Buffy spent the next day in classes with Willow and Oz, Spike proceed into town and headed over to Sunnydale Middle School, where Xander and his construction crew were currently making repairs on the school's roof.

"Harris?" Spike spit out, searching for the tall, brown-haired man.

"Spike? Hang on a second..." Xander replied from on the top of the school building. 

A few minutes later, Xander climbed down a ladder resting on the side of the building and slowly approached the blonde. "Hey man, what's up?"

"Not much, yourself?" Spike asked.

"Nothing big...the school's roof is leaking, so they called us over here to come fix it up," Xander explained. "What brings you over here at this time of day?"

"Well, Buffy and I were talking last night, and we got onto the subject of my culinary skills," Spike began. "She brought up this idea of me running my own restaurant, and I've got to admit that I honestly can't stop thinking about how much I'm interested in this idea."

Xander "hmm"ed in thought and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Let me guess...you don't know too much about the business world, do you?"

"I was hoping you did, actually," Spike admitted. 

"I know a little bit," Xander started. "I know that you're going to eventually need a license, a contract, and probably a pretty hefty loan to get the whole thing started."

Spike nodded, committing the list to memory. "I haven't told Buffy yet, but while I was looking for a new place, I was also checking out some small lots for sale in town. There's one on the end of Main Street that's a perfect size and not too expensive."

Xander suppressed his laughter. "I think you've done more than just 'think' about this, buddy."

Spike smiled sheepishly. "I guess you can say that. So...what do you think?"

"Honestly, Spike? I think it's a good idea. If you're committed to this, you can probably make a good living off a restaurant," Xander told him. "After all, you've probably got seven or eight guaranteed customers already."

Spike flashed a confident grin. With every person he talked with about his plan, his self-reliance only grew. He had visited his father earlier that morning and talked the idea over with him, and Giles fully supported his plan. "Thanks, mate."

"No problem, Spike," Xander retorted. 

"Also, I guess if I can get this place up and running, I'm going to need a staff," Spike thought aloud. 

"True."

"Well, I'd love to have your help, Xander. You'd be the best man for the job," Spike insisted, knowing that Xander, who wasn't entirely satisfied with his current job, had been looking for a different place of employment for several months. 

"Really?" Xander asked in disbelief. "C'mon, Spike. This is your idea and your--"

"Harris," Spike growled in a playful warning tone. 

"Fine, fine," Xander said, holding up his hands in mock defeat. "I get off at five. I can come over to your place, and we can look into it, all right?"

Spike triumphantly grinned. "Sounds good to me, mate."

~~~

Buffy dashed around the main room at her mother's gallery, a vase in one hand and a plate in the other. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Willow running to the supply room, passing Joyce, who was approaching the front desk to answer a telephone call.

__

Boy, for a small gallery, we certainly are always busy nowadays, Buffy thought to herself. Groaning, she placed the vase down on the table in front of her and began to wrap the plate in tissue paper. 

Unexpectedly, Joyce's gallery had become the hotspot in Sunnydale. People were constantly browsing in the store and almost always left with a bag or two in their hands, and because of their rapid selling rate, new artists were beginning to request shows for their artwork in the gallery, which simply created more chaos in the already hectic environment. Willow and Buffy had begun to help out at the gallery during their extra time away from college. However, even their time was limited since the beginning of their senior year in college was proving to be extra difficult. 

__

I honestly don't know how my mother manages all of this when we aren't around, Buffy thought to herself in amazement. "Mom! We're all out of that silvery wrapping paper everyone likes so much!"

"There should be some more in the back room, Buffy!" her mom called back before returning to the phone call.

Buffy turned and started heading back to the storage room when Joyce stopped her. "Honey, William is on the phone," she said. "I'll grab the wrapping paper."

"Thanks Mom," Buffy politely said, approaching the desk and picking up the phone. "Hello?" 

"Buffy, love, how are you?" Spike's asked, concern filling his tone when he heard how exhausted she sounded.

Buffy loudly sighed and sank into the chair to rest. "Tired," she declared. "You?"

"I'm fine, love," Spike said. "Can you take a break from the gallery?"

"I don't know. My mom has-"

"C'mon, love," Spike interrupted. "There's something I really want to show you."

At Spike's giddy tone, a smile appeared at the corners of Buffy's mouth. "What is it?" she asked with renewed energy in response to Spike's enthusiasm.

"No, I can't tell you over the phone. I have to show you this," Spike said secretively. "It won't take long. Just bring Willow--"

"But Willow is busy too," Buffy complained.

"Bring Willow and meet me and Xander down at the end of Main Street, okay, baby?" 

"Okay, but--" Before Buffy could finish, Spike abruptly hung up the phone.

When Willow heard her name being brought into the conversation, she traveled into the main room. "Was that Spike?" she asked, stopping in front of Buffy after she had hung up the telephone.

Buffy nodded before spinning around in the chair to face where her mother's direction. 

"What did William want?" Joyce wondered, emerging from the storage room with a roll of paper in her arms.

"Oh, he wanted Willow and me to meet him in town," Buffy explained. "But...you're busy, so we can--"

"Buffy, you and Willow can go," Joyce kindly said. "You two don't really work here full *or* part time. I appreciate the help, but I can probably manage things around here for the rest of the afternoon."

"Really? Mom, you're the best!" Buffy declared, hopping up and quickly hugging her mother. "Willow! Let's go!"

~~~

Buffy and Willow strolled into town together, quickly approaching the end of Main street as Spike had directed when they saw Xander and Spike, standing outside in the middle of the street, waiting for the two of them. Buffy ran toward Spike and into his arms. "Hey, you," she greeted, tilting her head upwards and kissing him.

"Hey, love. It's about time you two showed up," Spike remarked. 

Winding one of her arms inside his jacket and around his back for a second, Buffy asked, "So, what did you want to show us, Spike?" 

Spike smirked and stepped back towards the sidewalk and the line of stores. "Ladies, prepare to be amazed."

Spike and Xander walked underneath the overhang of a darkened building and grabbed the edges of a long, white sheet. Together, they tugged and managed to pull the cloth down. 

"Taa daa!" Xander shouted.

Buffy and Willow stared up at the sign hanging on top of the building that read "The Silver Spoon." 

Willow gasped in wonderment the same time that Buffy broke out into giggles and laughter, tears now gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Oh my god!" she cried out, holding her stomach as she laughed. "You actually named it that?!"

"I told you, love, it was an interesting name."

"I cannot believe you named it that, Spike!" Buffy repeated. "I was just joking when I suggested it!"

"What can I say, love? The name stuck," Spike answered earnestly. 

"Wow," Willow said in awe. "What is this, you guys?"

"It's our place!" Xander said triumphantly. "Well...Spike's place. He's the one that's going to be teaching everyone all of the cooking and other skills. I just run the finances and technical stuff that Spike knows nothing about."

"It's amazing," Buffy said in astonishment, because truthfully, she had never expected Spike to actually go through with the idea. "Can we go inside?"

"Sure."

Spike unlocked the front door. He stepped inside first to turn on the lights, and everyone trailed inside behind him, collectively "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing.

"This place is going to be great," Spike declared, excitement filling his tone. "We're going to have a small internet cafe over here, the bar over in that corner...maybe a pool table over there also," he began, pointing out what was where. "And there's going to be a stage for poetry readings and musical performances, and then the usual place for dining in."

"Wow, Spike, you've got everything all planned out perfectly, don't you?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide in bewilderment.

"How long have you two been working on this?" Willow inquired as she walked around the tables and up to the bar. 

"Since January," Spike answered her.

"But that was like 7 months ago!" Buffy said in surprise. Playfully, she lightly punched him in the arm. "You kept it a secret from me *that* long?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise, love," Spike told her.

Buffy forcefully nodded. "Oh, trust me. I'm definitely surprised!"

Xander disappeared behind the bar and pulled out four chilled drinks. "So, anyone feel like a toast? I can already tell that this place is going to get some good business!"

The group laughed and took a proffered drink from Xander.

Before anyone began the toasting, Buffy leaned over and privately consulted her boyfriend, "So you did it. You finally made your dream come true. How does it feel, Spike?"

Spike pressed a hard kiss on her lips before widely grinning. "I've got to admit it, love, it feels pretty damn good."

~~~

Since opening "The Silver Spoon" in September, the restaurant had become an overnight success right from the get-go. Spike and Xander were busy twenty-four hours a day, and both learned very quickly that running a restaurant was going to be harder than they had originally thought. 

However, a few months passed, and now their hectic life was beginning to slow down into a fairly reliable schedule. When Spike wasn't available, the hired chef knew all of the dishes to perfection, and Xander was doing a great job at the appearance and financial up-keep of the building.

The popularity of the restaurant meant that Spike got to spend less time with Buffy, but Buffy was equally busy with helping her mother run the gallery, which was also considerably popular.

Today was Sunday, and Buffy and Spike were curled up on the couch together, watching TV. Sunday meant no work and no school for either of them. 

"Mmm, this is nice," Buffy commented, wrapping her arm around Spike's waist as she moved her head into a more comfortable position. "I wish we got to do this more often." _If only work didn't take up so much of our time these days, _Buffy regrettably thought. 

Spike abruptly exhaled and glanced down at her. "I couldn't agree with you more, love," he said, bending down and kissing the tip of her nose. _I wish we got more time together, too, _Spike thought with remore._ I hate that we don't get to see each other as often._

"But you want to know what would be even better?" Buffy asked, batting her eyelashes up at him.

"What do you want, Buffy?"

"A diet soda, please," she requested. "Thank you, honey," she added before Spike had the chance to refuse.

Spike rose from the couch and headed into the kitchen as Buffy stretched out on the couch, yawning and turning onto her side. _It can't get better than this, spending the afternoon with my honey, _Buffy thought. Buffy heard the telephone ring but made no move to pick up the receiver. _I'll just let Spike get that since he's up._

A second later, Spike returned from the kitchen with a glass in his hand. "Love?" he began. "It's Willow, she's on the phone."

"What did she want?" Buffy sat up and slowly stood from the couch, clutching the drink from Spike's hand and taking a short sip.

Spike paused, his breath catching in his throat. "I'm not too sure, Buffy. She said she wanted to talk to you about it first."

Buffy studied him carefully, wondering what was going on. "Okay..." she muttered, traveling into the kitchen and picking up the phone. "Will? You there?" 

"Bu--Buffy?"

"Willow? What's wrong?" 

Buffy listened as Willow took a few breaths before continuing, "I'm sorry, Buffy...we've been trying to reach your for the last ten minutes. I should have remembered you'd be at Spike's."

"Are you okay?" Buffy questioned, fear and confusion laced in her tone.

"I should have called you sooner...if I hadn't panicked--"

"Willow, calm down," Buffy commanded. "What's wrong?"

"Buffy...it's your mom," Willow announced, her voice deadpan and shaky. "She's been in an accident."

"What?" Buffy breathlessly asked, her mouth dropping open.

"There was an eighteen wheeler...Its brakes weren't working right and...it -- it skidded at a stop light....right when your mother was crossing the intersection, and--"

"But -- but she's okay, right?" Buffy asked, suddenly having trouble remembering how to breathe. "Mom is okay, right?"

"They -- they tried the best they could," Willow answered. Buffy couldn't see it, but she knew that her best friend was crying as she spoke. "But..."

"Willow..." Buffy began, her voice wavering with fear. 

"Buffy, your mom died on the way to the hospital," the red head slowly stated.

Buffy froze, dropping both the phone receiver and her glass, which shattered as it hit the tile floor. "Oh god..." she said, covering her mouth with a shaking hand. 

"Buffy?" Spike exclaimed worriedly, entering the room when he heard something break in the kitchen. He bent down and picked up the phone from the floor. "Red?" He paused, listening to Willow's sob what had happened. "I see...no, we'll be there in a few," he answered before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

"Oh baby," Spike sighed, sinking down next to the crying and shaking blonde and embracing her with both his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her ear, lightly kissing her cheek and stroking her hair. 

"Spike..." Buffy sobbed.

"It'll be okay, it'll be okay," he repeated.

Buffy knew that Spike was just trying to help; after all, what else can one say at a time like this? But at that moment, Buffy just wanted to scream. _She's gone, Spike! _Buffy wanted to lash out at him. _How can things just be okay ever again?_

~~~

TBC...

Thank you all for the lovely reviews for the last part. I'm glad you all are enjoying the story so far! For those of you who are wanting an update on the present time-line, however, the next part has 2 present day scenes and 2 flashback scenes! 

Thanks!

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	11. Chapter 11

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Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 11

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Thanks for all the reviews on the last part! I'm glad that you all are enjoying the story, please continue to let me know what you think :0) 

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"Hi Mom," Buffy softly murmured, kneeling down to place a bouquet of carnations and lilies, her mother's favorite flowers, at the top of the headstone. "Sorry I haven't been by in such a long time, but at least I managed to stop by before I left town again." 

Buffy ran her fingers over the letters of her mother's name engraved in the marble before sinking onto the earth. _It's been two years, and I'm still not over her. Does anyone ever get over the loss of a mother? _"You'd be happy though; the gallery is doing really well. Everyone up in L.A. loves the place."

She sat in the grass, her head lowered to the ground, remembering all the good and bad times she had with her mother. "I'm getting married," she whispered. "Well, first I have to get a divorce, but...after that, I'm getting married to a really nice guy. You'd like him." 

__

Liar. She'll always like Spike better, a voice inside her taunted. 

Buffy was so lost in her thoughts and memories that she didn't hear anyone walking up to her until she felt someone grab her shoulder. She gasped out of surprise and quickly glanced behind her. 

"Hello, love," Spike shakily greeted, as if almost nervous to speak up in front of her. He cast her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder before removing his hand.

Buffy frowned up at him, "What are you doing here, Spike?"

Spike held up his own collection of flowers. "C'mon, pet, who else do you think has been coming here to put flower's on Joyce's grave since..."

"You have?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Well, yeah..." Spike stated as if the reasoning were obvious. He placed his own gathering of flowers next to Buffy's before sitting down on the ground beside her. "Joyce was practically my own mum."

"She did have a strong liking for you; I admit it," Buffy noted. 

"That she did, love," Spike agreed. 

"Although, I can't imagine why."

Spike smirked at her before saying, "Must have been my impeccable charm and extreme good looks."

Buffy let out a soft, unladylike snort. "Yeah, right." 

"Sorry, pet...just trying to lighten up the atmosphere a tad," Spike apologized, sending her an sorrowful look.

Buffy loudly sighed, raising her eyes to the sky for a brief second, looking everywhere but at the slab of stone that was in front of her. "God, I don't know how I got through her death at all," she remarked. "If you hadn't been there for me those first few weeks..." her voice died off, not wanting to bring up the past any more than was necessary. 

"You would have gotten through it eventually," Spike assured her. "After all, Summers women are strong."

Buffy turned her gaze to the gray headstone, now having to force herself to hold back her tears. "I still miss her, Spike."

"Of course you do, that's to be expected. It's only been a couple of years," Spike said, trying to comfort her as much as possible. "My mum has been gone for much longer than that, and I still miss her. I told you that it'd take time."

"I remember," Buffy acknowledged. _No, no, *no*! There he goes again, _she warned herself. _He's trying to drag up all these past memories and the things you don't want to remember. _Her first reaction was to run away, but she forced herself to firmly remain in her spot on the ground next to him. 

"And I promised to be there for you," Spike continued speaking. "And I was, when you let me, anyway."

Buffy glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye, "Spike, let's not go into this now, please," she pleaded. "I...I just wanted to come by and see her before I left town, and that's all." Buffy rose to her feet and hurried at a half-run, half-walk to her parking spot. 

A second later, Spike caught up to her as she neared the entrance to the graveyard. "I swore that I'd be there for you," Spike repeated in her ear, his mouth clenching with anger. "And I'd still be, if you hadn't run off."

"Spike--"

"And I know that I usually wait for *you* to run off first, but this time, I think I'll scamper away before you have the chance." And before Buffy could react or think up some witty comeback, Spike defiantly strode away from her.

~~~

****

The funeral had been an absolute nightmare for Buffy. Although surrounded by the comfort of her friends, including Spike and his father, Buffy was too emotionally destroyed to even comprehend about what was going on, and the funeral passed by in a blur. As they lowered her coffin into the ground and began covering it up in dirt, Spike held onto her as Buffy finally released her tears, sobbing into his jacket and holding onto him for dear life. 

But life had to go on, and Buffy was well aware of that fact. With Giles' help, Buffy started investigating the options for selling her mother's house because no one was living there anymore, and Buffy couldn't afford to pay the bills. The things she couldn't bear to part with, she brought over to Spike's place, and everything else went into storage until Buffy could figure out what to do with everything.

Alone, Buffy dealt with the bills, the will, the property, and her mother's personal belongings, grateful for at least having something to do that could keep her mind off what had happened. 

Several weeks passed, and the only thing left to handle was the future of the popular art gallery, her mother's pride and joy. The gallery had been closed since the day of the funeral. 

Spike, who had been by Buffy's side since Buffy heard the news about her mother's death, went with Buffy to the gallery for emotional support. He had been worried about her for the past few days, seeing that she was emotionally shut down from everyone else, including him. He knew that she needed to snap out of it, but he didn't know when or how to make that happen. 

"So...do you know what you're going to do yet, Buffy?" Spike asked as he watched Buffy unlock the front door and slowly step inside. 

Buffy switched on the lights, hesitating to travel any further into the store. This was wrong...being in the gallery without her mother was simply *wrong*_. _"I don't know," she confessed. "To be honest, I've been trying to think about it as little as possible."

Spike came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a comforting squeeze. "That's understandable, love." 

"I just don't know what to do here," she admitted. "I...I was going to start looking into a job after I finished up the rest of my classes, but..."

"Do you want to keep the gallery open?" he wanted to know.

Buffy shrugged. "It just seems wrong to close it. My mom worked *so* hard to get this place established, and it's so popular right now...I can't close it, Spike."

Spike pressed a kiss in her hair before unclasping his hands and treading up to the front desk. "All right, pet, we'll take things slow. Your mum should keep all of her files on this place around here somewhere..." He started searching through the folders and filing cabinets for anything that Joyce had recently left out. 

Buffy glimpsed at the various pieces of artwork scattered around the gallery. _God_, m_y mom loved this place, _she thought sadly. 

Suddenly, Buffy picked up the first thing her fingers touched, a small green vase, and threw it against the wall nearest to her. She screamed when it crashed into the wall, tears of anger rolling down her cheeks. 

__

What the bloody hell? Spike wondered to himself, spinning around in surprise at the instant he heard glass shattering. 

"WHY her?!" Buffy roared, staring at Spike and demanding an answer. "Why did it have to be *her*, Spike?" 

Spike ran up to her and gathered her into his arms. _She's finally cracked, _he realized. "I don't know, love."

"It's just not fair!" she screeched. "She never did anything wrong to anyone!"

"I know, Buffy," Spike assured her. "It's just that...sometimes that the way things go. It doesn't matter what the person was like or what they did."

"It's just *not* fair," she repeated, beating his chest with her fists a couple times.   
  
Spike led her over to and helped her sit down in a chair. He knelt down beside her to look her in the eye. "I miss my mum, too, pet. I know that I never really talk about her to you or the gang, but...god, do I miss her."  
  
Buffy blinked at him through tears, her eyes begging him to continue. Out of all the years she had known him, Spike had never said anything about his mother. "What was your mother like?"  
  
"Not so surprisingly, a lot like yours. Maybe that's why I loved your mum so much," Spike realized. "And god, she was so in love with my father. They were so...romantic it was just sickening at times, y'know?"  
  
Buffy chuckled.   
  
"I know it's hard now, love, but we'll get through this. We will," he insisted. "And I promise that I'll always be here. If you ever need to talk, I'll be here for you...always have been, always will be."  
  
Buffy smiled slowly. "I love you," she whispered, leaning and kissing him softly.  
  
"And I love you," Spike repeated back to her.   
  
"It was probably too soon for me to come here," Buffy acknowledged. "I just...I needed to get all of that out. I'd been holding all of it in for so long..."  
  
"I understand," Spike affirmed.  
  
"Can we do this another day? Maybe sometime next week? I promise next time I won't have a nervous breakdown," Buffy joked.   
  
"Sure thing."  
  
As the two were leaving the gallery, Spike asked her, "So, what are your plans for the gallery? Opened or closed?"  
  
"I think I'm going to leave the gallery open and run it myself," Buffy explained. "In memory of my mom."  
  
  
~~~  
  
Spike kept the promise that he'd made after Buffy's breakdown at the gallery. Together, he helped Buffy work through the emotional pain regarding her mother's death. After several months together, Buffy was back to normal, and she and Spike were even closer.   
  
Buffy managed to finish college and attain a diploma in graphic arts; however, since she spent so much time managing the gallery, Buffy was forced to place her plans for the future on hold. Despite the delay, Buffy wouldn't have given up the gallery for anything in the world; she just never realized what a huge job it would turn out to be.

Although she had hired Willow and Anya to help, the gallery had become a full time job right away. She was constantly busy hustling about, making phone calls, and running errands. _Now I know how Mom felt, _she thought to herself multiple times a day. 

Buffy trudged to the front desk of the gallery -- her gallery, now -- and turned off the small lamp._ Finally! _she sighed to herself in relief, dragging her hands though her tangled hair as she checked her date book.   
  
Tonight was Saturday evening, meaning she wouldn't have to step back into this building until Monday morning. _And, _she added to herself with joy. _I get to spend tomorrow with my honey.  
_  
Quickly, she penciled a reminder in her agenda book to pick up the newest order in the Nina Browlen collection Monday afternoon. _My work never ends in this place,_ she thought regrettably.   
  
"Evenin', love," Spike greeted as he entered the gallery.  
  
At once, a smile lit up Buffy's face as she welcomed her boyfriend, slamming the date book closed and rising out of her chair. "Hey, baby."  
  
Spike strode straight for her and soundly kissed her. "Sorry, I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"   
  
Buffy groaned and shook her head "no." "I was just wrapping things up here for the night." She hugged him once more before stepping back. "What are you doing here? I was planning on coming on home in about another ten minutes."  
  
"What can I say, I missed you too much to wait another ten minutes," Spike teased, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead. "C'mon, let's go," he commanded, tugging on her hand and leading her out the door.  
  
"Fine, fine," Buffy admitted defeat, grabbing her keys and locking the door behind the two of them.  
  
The couple turned and started strolling leisurely down the main sidewalk towards their home. Spike nervously fiddled around with something in his pocket as Buffy linked her arm through his and nuzzled her face against the side of his arm.   
  
"Love, I -- uh, was wondering a bit..." Spike nervously began.   
  
Buffy gazed up at him. "About what?"  
  
"I was wondering if you've ever thought about our...future," he said hesitantly.   
  
"Future?" Buffy repeated in confusion. "Spike, we're only twenty-three. I think that we have plenty of time left to discuss our future."  
  
"I know, I know, but..." Spike cleared his throat before continuing, "I was wondering about marriage...wondering if -- if you would ever consider it."  
  
Buffy stopped short, her eyes wide in disbelief. "What?! With you?"  
  
"Well, I am an eligible bachelor, after all," Spike gently teased, smiling down at her.   
  
"Spike...you just want to get married? What, right now?"  
  
"Well, why not?" Spike demanded. "The restaurant is going well, the best I ever hoped it would be, and the gallery seems to be going well for you."  
  
"Yeah, but--"  
  
"And you're out of college, we're settled and financially secure and all that rot," he continued. "C'mon, Buffy. I've loved you since I met you. Marry me."  
  
"Is that a request or a demand?" she wanted to know, the corners of her lips curling in a shy smile.   
  
"C'mon, love, just give me an--"  
  
"Yes," Buffy stated.   
  
Spike paused, not sure if he heard her correctly. "Say that again, pet."  
  
"Yes, Spike, I'll marry you." _Who cares that we're so young? _Buffy told herself, dismissing her doubts as she stared at the handsome man in front of her. _I have a bad record with commitment, and I know it. What if this doesn't work out? Who cares! I love him too much._   
  
Spike burst into laughter, a wide smile on his face. Extending his hands, Spike picked her up off the ground and started spinning her around, raining kisses on her face. A second later, after setting her back on her feet, Spike pulled something out of his coat pocket.   
  
"Look, I know this isn't as good as a three-carot diamond engagement ring, but this is the best I can do," Spike explained, showing Buffy the ring that he held in his fingertips.   
  
Buffy stared at the golden ring, awe on her expression. The ruby stone centered in the ring shone brightly in the reflection of the street lamp above the two of them. "No, Spike, it's beautiful," she breathed.  
  
"It was my mum's," Spike told her. "She gave it to me, told me to hang onto it until I met the right woman. That's definitely you, love."   
  
"I can't believe we're doing this," Buffy said in awe as she watched Spike slide the ring onto her finger.   
  
"Me either. Never thought you'd say "yes," honestly," Spike replied in amazement. He tightly gathered her into his arms and kissed her cheek. "So, what's next?"  
  
"Let's run away and get married now," Buffy suggested excitedly. "I want to be Mrs. Buffy Summers Giles tonight." She pressed her body against his and roughly kissed him. "I want to come back home and make love to my *husband* tonight."  
  
"Well then, I guess we'd better get a move on," Spike agreed impulsively. "It's a long drive to Las Vegas." He led her over to his DeSoto and opened the passenger door for her.   
  
As Buffy hurridly glanced in the backseat, she saw a long, white dress stretched out on the seat. "Spike! You expected me to say "yes" all along, didn't you!" She playfully punched him in the arm before climbing into the car.   
  
"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist my charm." Spike said once he was in the driver's seat beside her.  
  
Buffy leaned over and kissed him once more. "Guess you were right." She settled back into the seat as Spike started up the car. "Vegas, here we come!"

~~~

"Can I get you anything?"

"Yes, I'd like a mocha cappuccino, please," Buffy requested as she sat at a table inside the Expresso Pump. 

"Sure thing," the waitress replied, jotting a note on her pad as she walked away from the table. 

__

Here's hoping that this place has improved since I was last here, Buffy thought as she pulled out her agenda calendar. 

"So, pet, is this extra seat saved for anyone?" a voice drawled out from in front of her. 

Buffy raised her head and rolled her eyes when she saw who was standing before her. "Ohmigod," she muttered quickly. "You *must* be stalking me; I'm sure of it now."

"It's a small town, Buffy," Spike argued. "People run into each other more often in small towns than some places like...oh, let's say, Los Angeles."

Buffy scowled at him, hoping that he'd go away. When she heard the scraping of chair legs against the concrete floor of the cafe, she glanced back up at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here," Spike answered her, completely pulling out the chair and planting himself in it. "Since obviously no one else is going to."

The blonde waitress approached Buffy's table with a Styrofoam cup in her hands. "Here you go, miss," she said as she placed the drink in front of Buffy. She turned to Spike, asking, "Would you like anything, sir?"

Buffy's eyes doubled in size, and she quickly shook her head for Spike. "No, no, he doesn't want anything," she insisted. "He was just leaving."

Spike smirked at Buffy before turning and smiling at the waitress. "I think I'll stick around, actually. I'll take a coffee with three creams, love."

"I'll be right back," the waitress noted as she turned around and headed back into the kitchen. 

"Aren't you suppose to be at the restaurant right now?" Buffy asked, trying to think of some way to get rid of him.

"No, Xander and some of the other staff members are looking after everything while I'm gone," Spike clarified. "It's pretty slow today for some reason."

"Oh," Buffy murmured. "But, other than today, it's doing well?"

"Better than I could have ever imagined," he admitted. "The Internet cafe is turning into a big success. We're planning on ordering some new computers next week, and...and you don't really want to be hearing about my business, do you, pet?" Spike questioned when he saw a distant, uninterested expression cross Buffy's features. Buffy scowled and placed her concentration into staring back down at her date book, trying to act extremely interested in her schedule for next week. 

"Is that a planner for your schedule at the gallery?" Spike questioned her a second later. 

"So, what? Now we're going to have a conversation?" Buffy demanded to know before taking a small sip of her coffee. _Nope, this place has definitely not improved since the last time I was here. _

Before Spike had a chance to reply, the waitress again neared the table, this time carrying Spike's coffee. "Here you are, sir."

"Thanks, pet," he politely answered her, returning his gaze to Buffy and waiting for an answer. 

Buffy sighed and rolled her head to look away from him. "Yes, it is for the gallery." She cast him an "are you happy, now?" look before going back to studying her agenda. 

"How is the gallery?" 

"It's good...busy," Buffy explained. "It's still pretty popular, y'know?" _What are we doing? _Buffy questioned herself as she stared at the man sitting across from her. _We're drinking coffee together, having a somewhat civilized conversation so far...dammit, I fell into his trap after all._

Spike scoffed at her with nothing but anger in his eyes. "Of course I know that place is hoppin'," he stated. "It's that damned gallery's fault that you left me in the first place."

"Please don't start that up again with me, Spike," Buffy pleaded. _I can't even drink my somewhat over-brewed coffee in peace without worrying if he's going to come up and annoy me to death. _

Spike smirked, "Maybe if you hadn't run off at the first sign of trouble, like you always do, we could have worked through it all!"

"I didn't..." Buffy began, her voice dying off. "Maybe if you weren't so stubborn and hadn't *yelled* at me about it so much that night, I *would* have to stayed to work through it with you." 

"Now what the hell is that suppose to mean?" Spike wanted to know. _Does that mean she was going to stay with me? _

"You! You're so stubborn," Buffy answered. 

"Oh, and you're not?" Spike raised his scarred eyebrow in disbelief. _Isn't this about when she usually runs off now? _he wondered. _Oh, here we go now, _he corrected himself when he saw her reach for her purse. 

"I'm *so* out of here," she muttered, snapping shut her book. "I can't even believe that I thought we could carry on a conversation together anymore without it ending in an argument." 

Spike reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her from going any further. "Wait."

Buffy paused, feeling incredibly guilty. "I...I can't believe I'm saying this, but after...I missed talking to you...having someone to confide in." _Why am I telling him this? _"But I should go," she added. _Your week is almost up, Spike, _she wanted to tell him. _And so far, you haven't convinced me to do anything but run back home. _

"Oh my god!" a girl shouted, sitting at the bar and staring up at the television with a dreamy look on her face. "Hel--lo salty goodness! It's Angel O'Connor! Hey, can you turn that up, please?"

Buffy stared at the television screen, surprise on her features. _He didn't tell me that he had any premieres he was attending this week_. She felt Spike slowly release her arm, and she took a step closer towards the television, watching the current "Inside Story."

Angel O'Connor was walking down a red carpet, passing a poster that read "Temptations of the Heart," Mena Suvari and Orlando Bloom's new movie. Angel almost entered the theater when a reporter rushed up to him, pushing a microphone with the ET label into his face. 

"Good evening, Mr. O'Connor," she greeted.

"Hello, Ms. Gibbons," Angel replied, stopping to smile for the fans and flashing cameras gathering at the side of the carpet. 

"Tell me, Mr. O'Connor, where's the lovely young lady that we usually see attached to your right arm?" she asked, sticking the microphone even closer to his mouth to hear the response.

"She's visiting friends," Angel explained. 

Lisa Gibbons smiled, "Well, we're all just so used to seeing your girlfriend appearing at the premieres with you that--"

"Well, actually, she's my fiancée now."

"What?!" The girl watching TV sighed in despair. "He's getting married?"

Buffy's mouth fell open. _How dare he! _Before Buffy left, the two had agreed to keep their engagement a secret from the press until she got back at the earliest. *Now* everyone was going to know!

"Well," Spike began as ET went to a commercial break. _Great, just another bloody reminder that this woman isn't really mine anymore. _"That certainly ruined the mood, didn't it?"

"Spike," she started a second before she was cut off.

"Look, why don't I get out of your bloody way," he suggested, standing up and pushing the chair back under the table. "You can stay here and finish your coffee. I just...I don't bloody care what you do anymore." Defeated, Spike stood up and stormed out of the Expresso Pump.

Buffy sat back down in her chair. Seeing Angel blurt out the news of their engagement bothered her, but what disturbed her more was the fact she had just unintentionally hurt Spike's feelings. 

~~~

TBC...

****


	12. Chapter 12

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 12

By Rachel

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Sorry for the delay, my beta and I both got tied up with school work (but don't go blame her either!) Part 13 should be coming out soon, hopefully :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

****

"I still can't get over the fact that we're married now," Buffy commented in complete awe for what must have been the hundredth time that night. She tightly clutched their marriage certificate in her hands, gazing in wonderment at their names written on the same line together. _William and Buffy Giles, _she thought proudly in her head. 

"It is pretty amazing, love," Spike agreed, glancing over at her before returning his eyes back to the road. He sighed in relief as he passed the entrance to their apartment complex, glad that the two of them were almost back home. 

"I mean, I am Mrs. Giles now," Buffy continued speaking. "I just...wow, I never thought that I'd be lucky enough to find and marry a man as wonderful as you." 

"I feel exactly the same way," Spike admitted. "Well, except for finding a woman, obviously."

"Willow is going to absolutely wig when I tell her," Buffy realized. "And then she'll be mad at me since I'm waiting until tomorrow to fill her in on the good news."

"You don't want to call her when we get home?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'll just tell her tomorrow morning when I get to work." She looked over at him with nothing but love reflecting in her hazel orbs. "I want to spend tonight with you."

"Sounds like a plan to me," her new-husband concurred. 

"What is your dad going to say about this?" Buffy wondered. _And how come I didn't think of this *before* we ran off to get married? _"After all, this was sort of unplanned."

"I'm sure Dad will love it. He'll be surprised, I bet, but he'll get used to the idea very quickly; I'm sure of it," Spike insisted. "He's always been partial to you, love."

As the two of them pulled into the front driveway, Buffy over at him with worry glazed over her eyes. "Do you think Mom would have approved?"

Spike cocked his head towards her, a small smile forming at the edge of his lips. His hand stretched out and grabbed onto hers, tightly squeezing it in a loving matter. "Of course she would have, Buffy. She would have been so proud of everything you've accomplished," he gently assured her before climbing out of the car. 

Spike proceeded to the other side of the car, opening the passenger door and helping Buffy climb from the front seat. Buffy muttered a soft "thanks" to her husband as she placed their marriage certificate in the envelope given to them at the altar and placed the paper in her purse. Buffy fished around in her pocketbook for the set of house keys as she and Spike approached the front door to their apartment. Once getting the correct key in the lock, Buffy unlocked the door and pushed it open with her shoulder, taking a step into the foyer. 

However, before she could get further into their home, Spike grabbed her shoulder and dragged her back outside. "Wha--" Buffy began.

"C'mon, pet, isn't there some traditional thing we're supposed to do that all folks do after they get married?" Spike asked, a grin wide on his features. 

"What? You mean that 'carry the wife over the threshold' thing?" Buffy answered him. She shrugged her shoulders, "I just thought we'd skip that."

"Why?" Spike questioned. "Let's get this marriage started off on the right foot, at least." 

Buffy giggled excitedly as Spike swept her, weightless, into his arms and carried her through most of the doorway and into their dimly lit house. She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, caressing the back of his neck, her fingers running through his hair, as she teasingly rubbed her nose against his. Slowly, the two met in a kiss that rapidly began spiraling out of control. 

"We're going to give anyone outside watching this quite a show," Buffy breathlessly whispered a second later as the two pulled back, nodding towards the open door with her head.

"Don't want that, do we?" Spike adknowledged. He glanced back at the front door and kicked it shut with the heel of his boot. "Better?"

"Much."

Spike lowered his head and caught Buffy's lips, taking her mouth with savage intensity. With all the passion and love he could muster, Spike kissed her lips over and over again as they slowly made their way up the stairs. 

~~~

"Willow!" Buffy shouted as she pushed the front door of the gallery open. Thanks to Spike, not only did she oversleep, but she had also been an hour late leaving their apartment this morning. She just hoped that Willow had arrived on time and was handling everything fairly well. "Willow, are you here yet?"

"Yeah! I'm here!" Willow shouted from the back the moment she heard her best friend exclaiming her name. A second later, she came running out from the back room. "Buffy? What's wrong?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and approached her friend. "Nothing is wrong, Willow," she insisted. "Why do you ask?" Purposely, Buffy slowly brought up her left hand to scratch her chin, as if deep in thought. 

__

Oh my... Willow thought, her eyes popping wide open. "Buffy!" she shrieked, reaching out and roughly grabbing her friend's hand, gaping at the ring before her. "Ohmigod! Oh my god, Buffy, is this what I think it is?"

Buffy nodded triumphantly. "Spike asked me to marry him," she proudly announced. "And...we sorta ran off to Las Vegas and got married last night."

By now, Willow appeared as if she were getting ready to faint from shock. "Wow..." she sighed. "That's so...oh, that's so romantic, Buffy. I always hoped you two would get this far."

"Really?" Buffy pondered aloud, surprised at hearing her friend's admission. After all, Willow had never been too vocal with her opinions about the two of them.

Willow tugged on Buffy's arm and led her over to a cluster of chairs in the back corner of the main room. "You have to tell me *everything*, right now. When, where, how did he ask you, what happened?...*Everything*."

Buffy laughed at her friend's eager enthusiasm. "Okay, okay," she answered, giving into her friend's request. "Well, we were walking home from the gallery last night when--"

"Sorry to interrupt," a man broke into the conversation, tentatively approaching the two women. He had entered into the gallery a minute or two after Buffy had, obviously unnoticed due to Willow's excitement over Buffy's news. 

Buffy gazed at the tall, brown-haired man standing in front of her. He was dressed in a long, black trench coat with a briefcase in his hand and glasses resting on the edge of his nose. _He looks pretty professional, _Buffy realized. _Wonder if anything is wrong. _She stood and smiled at him, saying, "Is there anything we can help you with, sir?"

"I'm looking for a Ms. Summers. Is she available at the moment?"

Buffy grinned and she felt Willow jokingly poking her in her back for a couple of seconds. "Actually, it's Mrs. Giles now," she politely corrected him.

"Ahh, my apologies," he apologized. "I'm Phillip Evans. I came by here to talk with you about your gallery."

Buffy's eyebrows tightened as new tension filled her. "Is there something wrong with the gallery, Mr. Evans? I've been running this place for a long time and have never had any complaints before."

Mr. Evans shook his head. "No, there isn't a problem Mrs. Giles."

"Then..." Buffy began, wondering what other possible reason would bring him here.

"Is there a place where we could sit and talk in private perhaps?" he suggested.

"Sure." She turned her attention back to Willow for a second, asking, "Will? Can you keep an eye on things out here?" 

"Sure thing, Buffy." Willow nodded and rose from her seat, traveling to the front desk.

"Follow me," Buffy ordered. "We can talk in my office."

After Buffy shut the door to her office and Mr. Evans took his seat, Buffy cleared her throat and repeated her question, "So, you said that there isn't anything wrong with my gallery?"

"No, quite the contrary, actually," Mr. Evans assured her. "Over the last year, I've began hearing great things about your small gallery, Ms. Sum...I mean, Mrs. Giles. Word of your gallery has spread to L.A., even. People are talking about your gallery in my very office."

"And this office's name would be...?" Buffy started, curious about who he was representing.

"Oh, I work for Evans and Grove," the man explained. 

Buffy's eyes widdened, the surprise evident on her face. Although she hadn't lived in L.A. for a long duration of her life, Buffy had heard about this funding company and how well repsected it was. "Well, thank you for the compliments, Mr. Evans," Buffy gratefully said. "We try our best with what little space we have," Buffy explained. 

"I understand. Tell me, have you ever thought about possibly moving to a larger space?" Mr. Evans asked. "Think about it...more storage, larger display areas, and just more space in general?"

Buffy sighed. "I've thought about it, would love for that chance, but...I probably won't ever have an opportunity to see something like that really happen. My small staff and I know that we just don't have the finances--"

"Mrs. Giles, this is why I'm here." Mr. Evans paused to pull out a business card from his inside coat pocket. "Because of all of the positive things I've heard about your gallery, my funding company and I are interested in helping you grow."

Buffy gasped. Shakily, she extended her arm and took the card from his grip. "Are you serious?"

Mr. Evans chuckled. "Quite." 

"I just...this is so unexpected."

"I know, and because of that, I don't want an answer from you right away," he continued. "Take a couple of weeks to get everything figured out. Talk to your husband about this; see if he'd support you."

"Spike is going to be as thrilled about this as I am; I'm sure of it," Buffy assured him.

"Spike?"

"Uh...high school nickname," Buffy corrected herself, lightly blushing from embarrassment. She composed herself before continuing, saying, "I'll definitely have an answer for you in a couple weeks."

"Excellent, I'd like an answer by then at the latest. After you let us know, we'll help move all of your equipment and supplies to your new store in Los Angeles, but our trucks will--"

"Wait," Buffy interrupted him. "Sorry, but could you repeat that? I mean, my new store in LA?"

"But of course," Evans replied as if the answer were obvious. "Mrs. Giles, it's unreasonable to build onto this complex. Why, you'd have to tear down the building to the right or left of you to add on another room."

"But..." Buffy began, taken back by what Mr. Evans was telling her.

"Mrs. Giles, surely you don't expect to stay in this small town and run a business that's fit for LA, do you?"

~~~

Originally, Buffy's intention was to come to Sunnydale and stay about ten minutes to carefully watch Spike sign the several sheets of divorce forms. Five days later, she was still here. And although Buffy knew there must be a good reason for her continued presence in Sunnydale, she just couldn't bring herself to even begin thinking why she was still in this small town.

After watching Spike hurry away from her at The Expresso Pump yesterday, Buffy's guilty conscience kicked in when she realized how hurt he had really seemed. The next afternoon, with the goal of apologizing to her ex-husband firmly planted within her mind, Buffy approached Spike's front porch, nervously wringing her hands together as she neared the front door. _Okay, I can do this, _she commanded herself as she pressed the doorbell and waited for Spike to answer. 

A second later, she heard a muffled voice call out from the other side of the door. "Go away, love."

Buffy rolled her eyes. _He must have looked through the peephole and was too afraid to come out and actually talk to me. _"Spike!" she shouted. "Open the door."

She waited another second without hearing a reply. "Spike, stop acting like a five year old and open the damn door."

A second later, Spike did as she commanded. "What do you want?" he demanded to know as he leaned casually in the doorway with a cold look on his face. 

"I..." Buffy began hesitantly, unsure of how to phrase what she was trying to say. "I wanted to apologize."

Spike's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Apologize?"

"Yeah, apologize," Buffy repeated. She paused, drawing up some necessary courage before continuing. "I didn't mean for you to see Angel discussing the engagement yesterday afternoon, *I* didn't even know he was going to announce it so soon. And I really didn't originally plan on acting so cruelly to you when I came down here. I guess it just comes naturally still, so...I'm sorry, Spike." 

Spike remained motionless, a deadpan expression on his face. "Is that all? Because you're making me miss 'Passions' in there."

"Oh," Buffy stuttered, feeling an odd twinge of disappointment. "Well, sorry I wasted your time then." She started backing away from him, turning around to descend the steps.

Spike shook his head. _I act like I still want her; she hates me. I act like I hate her, and she's hurt, which just makes me hate myself. A bloke just can't win with her, can he? _"Love," he started before he realized he'd said anything out loud.

Buffy spun back around to face him, a determined expression set on her face. "I just want to remind you, William, that your week is almost up," she announced. "I'm going back to LA in a couple of days, whether you do anything to try and stop me or not."

  
"Going back to him," Spike stated softly disappointment and hurt in his words. His few, yet strong, reminders of what the two had shared together had apparently failed.   
  
"And back the gallery," Buffy quickly added. "I've been away from that place too long, and Willow and Tara are getting too bogged down with their own work and running the gallery for me, so--"  
  
"Save it, pet," Spike rudely interrupted. "I don't want to hear about your bloody gallery."  
  
_Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?_ Buffy pondered. "All right, well, I'm just going to go," she softly announced. "I'll be back in a couple of days to pick up the papers, signed this time."  
  
As Buffy left the company of her ex-husband, a pain that she had long ago forced herself to forget, tightly squeezed her heart as she thought about him and the way he had just treated her. Every day she saw him, Buffy was forced to remember their lengthy past together, both the incredible good times and the bad. In the last week, had Spike somehow managed to change her mind? 

But being with Spike wasn't an option…not now. _He doesn't even want to see me anymore,_ Buffy reluctantly realized. He had barely spoken a word to her this 

afternoon. He was obviously past the point of caring for her any longer. "And I deserve it, too," she muttered under her breath. _God, what have I done? _

Buffy trudged back to her car, climbing into the driver's seat and staring at the wheel. _This is crazy_, she told herself. _This shouldn't even matter to me, and I shouldn't even care about him. Everything is waiting for me back in Los Angeles. *Angel* is waiting for me in L.A.! Angel is a famous, well-known actor, who is polite, caring, and has always been there for me ever since I met him. He can support me and love me better than anyone else can._

__

Or can he...?

__

Angel thinks I'm coming down here to visit some of my old friends, and instead, I *lie* and drop in on my ex, an ex-husband that he doesn't even know about! Gee, what a *great* start to our engagement, Buffy chided herself. 

Buffy exhaled loudly, leaning her forehead against the wheel of the car, feeling a massive headache beginning to form in the back of her head. _Just how did all of this happen? When did things get so bad between Spike and me? He always blamed it on my gallery...I always thought that it was his restaurant. So when did we both get so involved with our professional lives that we forgot about what mattered most? Our love?_

Groaning, Buffy sat up and pounded the leather covered steering wheel with her fist. "It's ridiculous; it's just simply ridiculous," Buffy argued aloud to herself. "I can't drop everything and come back here, even if I wanted to."

__

Do I? Do I want to?

Buffy slid the key into the igniton, starting up the car and backing out of the parking space. _No, don't even go there, Summers. You're just going to get yourself into deeper trouble. Just...go back to the hotel and relax for the rest of the day. Order a movie on pay-per-view, have a few drinks...just don't think about *him*._

Five minutes into her short drive back to the Holiday Inn, a new thought crossed Buffy's mind, sending her whirling at the fresh revelation, _Can I love two men at the same time?_

As soon as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer.

__

No. I can't.

  
  
~~~

For the rest of the afternoon, all Buffy could think about was what Phillip Evans had told her. He had offered her the chance of a lifetime for her gallery, and yet, she knew that it would come at a high price. 

Buffy knew that Spike would never agree to move to L.A.; after all, he had his own restaurant to manage and worry about. However, she knew that this was her one, possibly only, chance to elevate her gallery's status in the world. 

  
Mr. Evans had given her a strict two weeks to make her final decision before he offered someone else the funding. Her brain was telling her "yes" while her heart was screaming at her to stay at home with Spike and everything familiar. Now, she was torn about what she should do.  
  
Buffy knew that she should at least bring up the topic with Spike and see what he thought, what he wanted. Who knows? Maybe he'd be willing to follow her to LA and run his restaurant there instead.   
  
As the day passed, business picked up, and luckily, Buffy was able to distract herself and forget about her worries with all of the customers and artists pouring in. Spike was planning on arriving near closing time to walk her home that evening, and Buffy planned on bringing up what Mr. Evans had told her then.  
  
As Buffy strolled past the front doorway on the way to help a customer, she noticed a head of bleached hair poking into the room. "Spike!" she gasped in surprise. She glanced down at her watch, wondering if the time had just slipped away. "You're here early. What are you doing here?"  
  
Spike shrugged as he entered the brightly-lit room. "Xander and the crew are managing to run the restaurant right now. How, I don't know, but I decided to see if you needed any help. I know that you're especially busy around this time of day." He approached her and gave her a loving hug. "How are you?"  
  
"Tired," she answered him, leaning into his embrace. _And worried,_ she mentally added.  
  
"Well, maybe you could close up shop a little bit earlier than usual tonight, and we can head on home together," Spike suggested. "Or we could catch a movie. We haven't been out since we ran off to Vegas."  
  
Buffy shook her head regrettably. "No, I can't, Spike. I have too much to do here right now, and--"  
  
"Buffy!" Willow shouted, rushing out of one of the back rooms. "We really need your help back here. Kenzzie wants his portraits on display in the main room, *not* the side window where we originally placed all of his works."  
  
"I'll be right there, Will," Buffy answered, glancing at her red-haired friend for a second before returning her concentration back to Spike. "Look, I really need to be here for the rest of the night; things are hectic around the holiday times. They always are."  
  
"That's fine, pet," Spike assured her.  
  
"Look, you're free to hang around and wait for me," Buffy suggested.  
  
"All right, let me know if you need any help. I can, uh, run the front desk or something if you want me to," Spike offered.  
  
"Thank you," she sincerely replied. Buffy took a deep breath before continuing, summoning the strength to bring up what Mr. Evans had discussed with her. "Also, I have something I need to talk with you about when we...well, *I* get some free time."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it until when we can talk privately."  
  
"All right." Spike's expression betrayed his concern. "It's nothing bad, is it?"

Quickly, almost too quickly, Buffy shook her head "no" before flashing him a reassuring smile. "It's nothing big," she affirmed.

After the last person exited the double glass panel doors, Buffy sighed in relief. She retreated to the back room to chat with Willow for a second before approaching her husband with a grin on her face. "Spike, we can finally go home!" she called in relief to her husband who was resting in a chair at the back of the room.  
  
"We're ready?" Spike wanted to know.  
  
"Yes, Willow is going to close up tonight for me," Buffy explained. She reached over the desk, grabbed her purse, and turned off the small lamp in the corner. "We can get out of here now."  
  
Spike wrapped his arm around her slender waist as the two headed to the front door. "Oh, there was something you wanted to tell me?" he remembered. "Do you want to talk about it here before we head on home?"  
  
Buffy paused. _Tell him, tell him now, _she commanded herself. _Tell him before you completely loose your nerve._ Smiling sweetly up at him, she forcefully shook her head. "No, it's not important. It can wait until later."  
  
  
~~~

TBC...

  



	13. Status on This Story

Hey everyone!

I know that you all are wondering "why hasn't she updated Home Is... yet?!"

Well, I actually have parts 13 and 14 written up, but I am waiting for my beta to A) get back from her Thanksgiving holiday with her family and B)to beta part 13 and C) for me to send part 14 to her.

I'm terribly, terribly sorry for the lack of updates, but I hope that it'll be worth the wait in the end. This story is almost done...probably 16 parts total, and they will start getting sent out and posted here as soon as I get them back from my beta-reader.

Thanks! And I hope you'll stick with me through the wait.

Thanks,

Rachel


	14. Chapter 13

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 13

By Rachel

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Sorry for the delay (I know, you've heard this before) but I hope you enjoy this part!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

****

Another week passed, and Buffy continued to delay her much-needed conversation with Spike about Mr. Evans' offer for her gallery. Every time she started bringing up the topic, she lost her nerve and quickly tried to change the subject. Although her time was running out, Buffy just couldn't bring herself to just say what needed to be said.

__

Here goes attempt number fifty, Buffy sarcastically thought to herself as she entered the kitchen of his restaurant. _Let's see how quickly I back out of it *this* time. _Buffy spotted Spike slaving away in front of the stove alongside two other cooks. "Spike?"

Her husband cast a quick glance over his shoulder, a slight grin on his features. "G'afternoon, love," he greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"It looks like I'm wasting my lunch break to come by and say hello to you," Buffy explained. 

Spike wiped his hands clean before tightly embracing her. Their lips met in a quick kiss before Spike broke away, asking, "Was there something you wanted?"

"Well, I was actually wondering if you could take this evening off, so we could spend tonight together," Buffy suggested. If he agreed, an evening alone would be the perfect opportunity to bring up her gallery's offer.

Spike paused a second before slowly and reluctantly shaking his head. "Buffy, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that tonight," Spike apologized. "It's been busy here all afternoon, and it's only going to pick up as the day passes."

"But...but I really need to talk you," Buffy told him, allowing her sense of urgency to show.

Suddenly jumping to conclusions, Spike nervously asked, "Oh bloody hell, what is it? Are you pregnant?!"

Buffy chuckled at his worried expression. "No, I'm not pregnant," she affirmed. "I just...we really need to talk."

"Well, now you've got me all worried, love."

"So you'll take tonight off?" Buffy requested, her tone filled with hope.

"I told you; I can't," Spike repeated. "Maybe tomorrow night?"

This time, Buffy shook her head at Spike's suggestion. "Saturday nights are too busy at the gallery, and Willow can't handle it all on her own anymore."

Spike playfully shook her shoulders, trying to get her to smile. "Don't worry, love, we'll work it all out. We'll talk soon, okay?" He kissed the end of her nose before adding, "Go and enjoy your lunch break now, all right?"

Buffy slowly nodded, disappointed that she would not have a chance to talk with Spike tonight about Mr. Evans' offer. "All right," she softly answered. She raised her head and lightly pressed her lips against his. "I'll see you at home later, all right?"

Buffy turned on her heels and left "The Silver Spoon's" kitchen with her head lowered to the floor in frustration. Spike watched the woman he loved more than anything else in the world trudge out of the room, realizing that things were nowhere close to being all right in their relationship.

Originally, Spike had planned and hoped that their marriage would ultimately bring them closer together. However, their jobs had spiraled out of control. Spike knew they were both were doing more than necessary. Now, their jobs were actually pulling them apart. They never got to see each other for longer than ten minutes except at night when they were too exhausted to do anything but sleep.

As Spike watched Buffy turn the corner and leave the restaurant, he couldn't shake this unsettling dread that everything was getting ready to completely fall apart. 

  
**~~~  
  
  
Buffy wove her way through the line standing outside of "The Silver Spoon," determined to talk with Spike about their future with her gallery and his restaurant. Buffy's two weeks to decide whether she would accept Mr. Evan's funding would be up in three days, and she still hadn't answered him. Tonight was the night that she knew she had let Spike know what was really going on; she had put it off for long enough.  
  
"Spike?" she called upon pushing her way through the crowded doorway of the restaurant. She raised herself on her tiptoes to search the masses for a bleached-blonde head. "Spike!"  
  
A man dressed in the usual black and red "Silver Spoon" uniform approached her, asking, "May I ask who are you looking for, mam?"  
  
"Spike. Uh...Mr. Giles," she corrected. "I'm his wife, and I really need to talk with him."  
  
"We're sorry, but he's really busy right now, Mrs. Giles," the waiter informed her. "Can't you two talk after the restaurant settles down later tonight?"  
  
Buffy forcefully shook her head. "No, I've been putting this off for too long; I need to see him."  
  
"He's back in the kitchen cooking up a storm," he told her, pointing back to the kitchen's swinging door.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Buffy crossed the main room, cautious to not run into any of the waiters carrying trays out of the double doorway. "Spike, honey?"  
  
"Buffy! What are you doing here?" Spike asked as he laid his knife on the table and took a few steps forward to kiss her on the forehead.   
  
"I had to come see you," Buffy announced.  
  
"I'm really busy, love," Spike pointed out. "It's a really bad time...rush hour and everything."  
  
_Well, whose idea was it to open up on Sunday?_ Buffy thought to herself, a hint of anger beginning to surface at his comment. _It certainly wasn't mine_. "But--"  
  
"Look, go home and wait for me, and then we can talk about whatever later tonight," he thought up, before turning his back on her and going back to what he was previously doing.  
  
"But by then you're always too tired, or you don't want to listen to what I have to say, or..." Buffy began. "I don't know when else to bring this up with you."  
  
"Buffy, love, just...right now isn't--"  
  
"Would you even miss me if I weren't even here anymore?" Buffy half-shouted, tears now beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "Because that's how you seem to always act nowadays."  
  
Spike froze, her outburst half-unexpected to his ears. "What?"  
  
"You're just...just so involved with your damn restaurant that you don't have enough time for me," Buffy replied more quietly.   
  
Spike stopped dealing with the boiling food and bubbling soups, staring at her with disbelief on his face. "What are you talking about? How did you come up with this crazy idea, Buffy?"  
  
"I've been trying to tell you for almost two weeks now. I probably should have told you that first night, but I was afraid of what you'd tell me in response."  
  
Spike shook his head in confusion. "I just...I just don't get where this is coming from."  
  
"A company offered me a deal--"  
  
"A deal?"   
  
"Phillip Evans, this man who is the head of this major funding corporation in L.A., came by my gallery and offered me a large loan to rebuild my gallery...a completely brand new and much larger gallery."  
  
"Buffy, love, that's great!" Spike said joyfully, reaching out to squeeze her arm in affection.  
  
"But...but the one exception is, is that it's in L.A.," Buffy finished.   
  
"L.A...." Spike softly echoed. "L.A.? As in...Los Angeles?!"  
  
"Spike, I know that--"  
  
"Yo! Giles!" a voice boomed from the kitchen doorway. "Table 24 and 26 are getting impatient here! Are their orders done yet?" **

  
Spike continued staring at Buffy, still not fully comprehending what or why she was telling him this. _How could she not tell me this right away? _he wanted to know.   
  
"Hey! Spike! Are you paying attention back there? You better not be lettin' all the food burn, man."  
  
Spike swallowed and cleared his throat. "Yeah, they're just about ready, Matt. I'll have them out to you in another second."  
  
Buffy nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the next, lowering her gaze to the floor and refusing to look her husband in the eye. "I...I should have brought this up sooner...it's just that, whenever I'm free, you're busy, and then when you have work, I'm not supposed to bother you, so I don't know when I should have talked with you about this."  


"You should have told me two weeks ago," he muttered. "I just..."  
  
Buffy resisted the urge to run to him, wrap her arms around him, and swear that she'd never leave. Honestly, however, she couldn't guarantee that because she hadn't fully dismissed the possibility of moving to L.A. and running her gallery there. "Maybe...maybe now that I've brought it up, we can talk about it tonight at home."  
  
Spike slowly nodded. "Yes, I think that's a good idea, pet. I think we *really* need to talk about this tonight."  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
After cleaning up and closing the restaurant for the evening, Spike headed back to Buffy's and his apartment, an unusual feeling of heavy dread in his heart. Although he wasn't aware of the entire story, and regardless of the fact that L.A. was only less than three hours away, Spike knew that if Buffy moved away from him, it would change their relationship permanently, and probably not in a good way.   
  
He was also well aware that as soon as he stepped through the doorway, Buffy would be right on his tail, demanding to continue their conversation.   
  
"You're finally home," Buffy greeted emotionlessly after Spike entered the foyer. She finished descended the stairs, facing him with an uneasy smile on her face.  
  
Spike froze, his face expressionless. "So this is why you've been so distant from me for the last couple of weeks?" _No point in avoiding the subject anymore, is there?_  
  
Buffy let out a cold, heartless chuckle. "No, the *gallery* is why I've been so distant recently. There's just so much work there these days."   
  
"So...so you just want to increase your amount of work by creating a whole new and *larger* gallery?" Spike's voice increased as did his anger as he spoke. He stormed into the living room, throwing his duster on the back of a chair as Buffy quickly followed.   
  
"No, that's not it; it's that...Mr. Evans only gave me two weeks to let him know if I wanted the funding or not, and--"  
  
"Two weeks?" Spike repeated, wondering if he had misheard her. "Bloody hell, that was...that *was* almost two weeks ago!"  
  
"I know, I know," Buffy said, trying to keep her husband calm. She placed her hands on his arm. "I have about three days left to decide, and--"  
  
"So you just decide to bring this up then? Gee, nothing like waiting until the last moment, is there, pet?" Spike shot back at her.  
  
"Spike, it's not that bad," Buffy attempted to assure him. "Look, I know we need to talk about this, but I thought that I could accept the offer. We could move to L.A....it's not that far away, and you can--"  
  
"Can what? Can drive a total of five, almost six, hours every day back to Sunnydale just to run *my* business?"  
  
Buffy clenched her fists together, trying to contain her anger. "Would you *stop* interrupting me, Spike?!"  
  
Spike held up his hands in defense, taking a few steps back from her. "Sorry, love. It's just that you've got to realize that this is just really unexpected to me."  
  
"I understand," Buffy murmured.   
  
"So why don't you explain it all to me? Tell me what you're planning to do?"  
  
"I...I don't know," Buffy told him with a hint of regret in her voice.  
  
"Well, you'd better figure it out, love. Your two weeks are almost up, aren't they?" 

  
She nodded slowly. "I told you, three days to decide," she explained again. "But...I was hoping that you'd be willing to do this for me."  
  
Spike forcefully shook his head in disagreement. "No, you were *counting* on me agreeing with you, Buffy...I know you better than that. You want me to pick up everything I've established here and just *move* with you?"  
  
"Well...yeah," Buffy stated. "Spike, this is my one chance for the gallery to get the attention that it deserves, *finally*, and I don't want to lose this chance."  
  
"I don't know if I can support this decision of yours," Spike informed her, turning his back on his wife and moving to the front door. "My job binds me to this town, and don't forget Xander, who has given next to everything to go into this partnership with me. I'm not dropping this restaurant…not for anything or anyone."  
  
Buffy angrily stomped her foot on the carpeted floor. "Dammit, Spike! Why are you always so stubborn?"  
  
"Me? Love, you're ready to run off to L.A. without considering any of the other options," Spike attempted to reason with her. "If one funding company is willing to support you, then there are plenty of others that would also do the same, and you could stay here."  
  
"No, this...I have to take this, Spike," Buffy tried to voice her own opinion on this topic. "This is it...you've had your fame with your restaurant, and now it's my turn."  
  
"So, what? You're just going to move away to Los Angeles?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Buffy admitted.   
  
Spike sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling and shaking his head in exasperation. "Well, you're making the wrong decision, love, You are doing fine in Sunnydale, and...and if you up and decide to accept this bloke's offer, I can't support this."  
  
Tears welled in the corners of Buffy's eyes as she backed away from her husband. "Fine." Her eyes roamed the room, placing her concentration on anything except the man standing in front of her. She took a deep breath. "We can discuss this more in the morning, but I'm going to bed."  
  
"I think I'll stay up a bit more," Spike told her.  
  
"Fine." Buffy turned on her heels and began leaving Spike alone downstairs. 

~~~

On her last full night in Sunnydale, Buffy decided to hunt down Spike again. She hadn't seen him in almost two days, which both surprised and worried her. _I've really blown it with him, haven't I? _she thought. _And here I am, pathetically trying to catch one glimpse of him and one opportunity to talk with him. _

She found herself standing outside the back-alley entrance to "The Silver Spoon," pacing around and waiting for Spike to walk through the doors. A second later, she heard the door slam open and her ex-husband pass through the doorway. Buffy saw him direct a cold glare towards her before he continued down the alley towards the main street.

"Spike!" she called, picking up her pace to catch him. "Wait up!"

"What for?" Spike answered back, not slowing down. "So you can try to apologize to me again for something new?"

"No," Buffy forcefully told him. "Look, I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon, and I'm going to have to stop by and pick up those papers." _And I just wanted to see you again to make sure you were all right. _

Spike rolled his eyes. _That's it? _he thought sarcastically. "Suggestion, love. Use the bloody phone next time." He brushed past her roughly. 

"Yeah right...I know that if I called you, you'd just hang up on me," Buffy retorted. "That's how stubborn you are."

__

I'm beginning to get really tired of hearing that word now, Spike wanted to yell at her. Instead, he turned his head to stare at her, gazing into her hazel eyes and finding that he could still lose himself there. He then wondered if he should regret the attitude he'd displayed toward her the last couple of days. "C'mon, love, let's go for a walk," he suggested.

Buffy quickly fell into step beside him and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Figured we'd go to Sunnydale Park," Spike decided. "You *do* remember what a park is, don't you?"

Buffy reached over to punch him in the arm. "Of course, I do, Spike."

"Just wondering, love. After all, you probably don't see too many of them in Los Angeles, do you?"

"That's true, I don't."

As Buffy and Spike entered the park several minutes, Spike led Buffy toward a bench near the trees. 

"I forgot how beautiful this place looked at night with the street lamps turned on," Buffy commented as she lowered herself onto the metal bench.

"Yeah, beautiful," he agreed, not removing his eyes from her profile.

Buffy heard how distracted his voice sounded and turned to look at him, her eyes immediately locking onto his. She blushed and broke their stare, lowering her eyes to the grass.

Spike stretched out his arms and crossed them in front of his chest. "So, tell me love, what's so bloody great about L.A.?"

"Oh, lots of things," Buffy said somewhat over enthusiastically.

"Like what? C'mon, pet, if you could tell me even one good thing about L.A., I'd be surprised."

"L.A. is...it's fast, and it's hectic, and it's okay," Buffy began, trying to think of something good to say about the city she had lived in for the past two years.

"Honestly, I'm not hearing anything from you, Buffy," Spike teased.

"I don't know...I'm used to it by now. I can't really think up anything good to say about it," Buffy realized. "But...but I come back here, and I see the Sun Cinema and the Expresso Pump and...and I'm back home. L.A. is fast-paced; it's quick. It's so quick that sometimes I feel like I can't keep up. But...but this…here…feels right."

"Love...this feels right because it *is* right," Spike insisted. He leaned closer toward the woman at his side, gazing deep into her hazel eyes. "Being in Sunnydale...this is right." He uncrossed his arms and cradled one of her small hands in one his larger ones.

"I just don't know..." Buffy whispered in a daze, leaning closer to the man that she had once loved with every essence of her being. 

"Don't..." Spike lowered his eyes to gaze at her lips, fighting the urge to lean in just a few inches closer and kiss them. "Don't know what?"

"Where I belong anymore..." Buffy's voice was barely audible.

__

God, I could kiss him right now, she thought. 

__

I can't. Angel... she remembered, thinking about her faithful husband-to-be in Los Angeles. 

__

He'll never even know, another voice told her. _Just do it._

Buffy pressed her shoulder against Spike's, lowering her neck and pressing her body close to him as possible. "We...we can't do this, Spike..." she warned, not stopping her trail of motion. _Please don't stop this from happening._

"I know."

The two were less that an inch away from each other, their lips almost pressed against each other's, when Buffy's cell phone shrilled, causing the two to jump back from each other. The spell was broken, their moment ruined, and Buffy couldn't have been more relieved. She sent him a quick apologetic look before taking out her phone. "Hello?"

"Buffy?"

__

Oh God... 

"Angel?!" Buffy stammered, quickly climbing to her feet and hurrying away from Spike. "Angel, hi! Sorry, it's just that you caught me at a really bad time..."

From several feet away, she heard Spike mutter, "You have *got* to be kidding me. Couldn't be at a worse time."

"What did you want?" Buffy asked, her tone sickeningly sweet and filled with joy.

"I just wanted to call and see how you were doing," Angel said. "Also, I was wondering when you were coming back home."

"Oh...uh, I should arrive back in L.A. tomorrow evening at the latest," Buffy said guiltily. _God, I have to go back to being with Angel tomorrow night._ Amazingly, she hadn't thought about her fiancée too often since arriving in Sunnydale. Her ex-husband had done an excellent job of distracting her from Angel. However, this phone call brought everything rushing back to her.

"Great!" Angel energetically replied. "I've missed you."

"I..." she looked back at Spike, taking note of the sour expression on his face. "I missed you too," she said in a softer tone.

"We're almost done with 'Confronting the Sun," Angel told her. "Faith is amazing in this role; she is definitely going to be an Oscar nominee this year. At least that's what we're all saying on the set."

"That's great," Buffy commented. "Look, uh...speaking of movies, I saw what you said at the 'Temptations' premiere on E.T. the other night." She heard Angel sigh on the other line and waited for his answer. When she got none, she continued talking, "I thought we both agreed to wait until I got back to announce our engagement, Angel. We agreed! In fact, I remember you being the one that suggested the idea in the first place."

"I know, Buff, but...it just seemed like the right time." 

"And you announced it without any input from me," Buffy stated, allowing the anger to infiltrate her voice. "You just...blurted it out on national television! God knows how many people saw it, and now everything that you've said is going to become a scene that will be repeated on every station, every show, and printed in every magazine that keeps up with you."

"Look, don't exaggerate the situation, Buffy. I know you're upset, but we'll work through this," Angel tried to calm her rising temper. "I just thought that the sooner we got our news out, the sooner we could start actually planning our wedding."

"We're planning the wedding already?" Buffy wondered aloud. "We just got engaged a week ago, Angel."

"I know, but...Hollywood likes fast marriages, not slow, dragged out ones," Angel insisted. "That's just the way they do things here."

"Well, that's not the way *I* do things," Buffy informed him. "Look, I don't want to argue about this. I'm coming home tomorrow. We can talk about it then, all right?"

"Okay, Buff," Angel agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"I'll come by your apartment as soon as I get back in," Buffy planned. 

"All right. Buffy...I love you."

"I...I love you too," Buffy murmured softly, now embarrassed that Spike had overheard her half of their conversation.

Buffy punched the "end" button on her cell phone and slowly turned back around to look at the bleached-blonde sitting in front of her. A smirk was widely spread across his face, and Buffy knew he was preparing to say something rude to compensate for his hurt feelings.

"Trouble in Paradise City?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows. "Upset with the Poof for exposing your big news?"

"Spike," Buffy cautioned, hooking her cell phone on a loop of her jeans. _God, I don't need this from him now. _"I was wrong...all of this...me coming back here when I didn't need to. It was wrong. I don't know why I did." 

__

Yes you do, a voice inside her shouted. _You're getting ready to ruin everything, Buffy!_

"You're just saying that," Spike told her, now sounding less cocky. "Buffy, stop acting like you're made out of steel and let me in! Talk to me, dammit!"

Buffy pushed her hair out of her face, trying to think of a way to quickly end her conversation with Spike. "All I know is one thing...I belong in L.A." Before Spike could retaliate, she turned and ran toward the park's entrance.

Spike stared at Buffy as she ran away from him. "Two years and the chit hasn't changed...still runs off whenever she's afraid of having to actually face her fears."

~~~

****

The morning after his first fight with Buffy, Spike awoke with a fresh and clear mind. He knew that he had been acting rashly last night. Buffy was his wife, his first and only love, and he was well aware that this was her big chance. After all, she had supported him with "The Silver Spoon," so he would be unfair in not supporting her with her endeavor. This was her opportunity to have her dreams come true, and instead he had acted like a prick. 

Spike headed out of the basement, determined to apologize to her and try to work something out. Maybe they could compromise and meet half way with an agreement. All he knew was that winning the argument meant far less than losing her. 

Spike padded upstairs to their bedroom and searched for Buffy, ready to crawl on his hands and knees to apologize if that's what he had to do to win her back over. When he saw the bed neatly made, Spike turned towards the bathroom, confusion clearly drawn on his face. Spike noticed that the bathroom door was closed, and he assumed that she was getting ready to face the morning. 

Spike slowly approached the door and knocked a couple times. "Buffy? pet? You in there?" 

But he heard nothing. 

Increasing his pace, Spike rushed through the rest of her house. _She's not here_, Spike thought, not wanting to believe the obvious. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the couch. Turning his head to the left, Spike saw a single sheet of paper placed on the coffee table, which he quickly leaned over and picked up.

His eyes widened as he read over the letter, and he began trying to tell himself that he just hadn't woken up from a nightmare yet. 

When he headed back upstairs and pulled open her closet, noticing dozens of her favorite outfits missing, Spike knew the truth.

Buffy had left him for that damn gallery.

~~~

TBC...

Thank you for all of the reviews! They all mean so much to me, knowing that you are enjoying the story. Stay tuned for what Buffy is going to do next in the present-day timeline. :)

And also...for those who know me for my site, Sinister Attraction: Darkprophecies died and I'm in the process of getting my own domain and getting the site back up. I think it'll be back up before the end of the weekend. Thanks!

****


	15. Chapter 14

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 14

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Sorry for the long wait...thank you for all of the kind reviews and feedback. It's much appreciated!

Also, this part is UN-beta-read. My beta is...somewhere. We haven't talked in several weeks, so these parts may get beta-read later on. So, I apologize for anything weird...she usually looks over these things first. 

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**__**

The Night Before...

Buffy stormed up the stairs, heading into their bedroom and slamming the door behind her as she released a loud groan of frustration. _How dare he! _she angrily thought, resisting the strong urge to pick up something and throw it across the room. _I showed *nothing* but support for him with "The Silver Spoon" in the last few years, so why can't he do the same for me? _

Because he's scared to death of losing you, a voice in the back of her mind warned her. _He knows that this is going to destroy what the two of you share. He's going to lose you entirely._

So what do I do? Buffy needed to know. Whenever she had a problem, Spike was always the first person she went to for advice, but for once, Buffy knew that she needed to deal with this on her own, regardless of how badly things turned out in the end. 

Buffy walked over to their small night table and picked up the phone, dialing Mr. Evan's number. "Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to Mr. Evans?"

"Speaking," the low voice answered her.

"Oh, hi! This is Buffy Giles," she greeted. "I'm sorry to call you at such a late hour."

Evans chuckled softly, "No problem, Mrs. Giles. I'm a night owl, so it is still early for me." Then, the lighthearted humor left his tone as he then asked, "have you thought about my offer?"

Buffy took a deep breath, casting her eyes towards the bedroom door for an instant. _Am I doing the right thing? _"Yes, I have," she began.

"And?"

"Mr. Evans, I have decided to accept your offer and agree to move the gallery to LA," Buffy informed him. _God, Spike is never going to forgive me for going behind his back and doing this to him! _she realized.

"Excellent!" He exclaimed. "You won't regret this, I assure you."

Buffy hollowly laughed. "I'm sure I won't."

"Now, my staff has gone home for the evening, so is there a chance that I can call you back tomorrow?" Phillip Evans requested. "We can set up appointments, plans, and what you'll be needing easier."

"Well...well, I..." Buffy began stammering, not wanting to mention that she wouldn't be home after tonight. "Actually, I won't be able to be reached at home for a few days, so I could give you my cell phone number instead?"

"That'll be great," Mr. Evans insisted. 

Buffy recited the number into the receiver before asking, "When can we get started with all of this, Mr. Evans?"

"We'll get started right away, Mrs. Giles. My team and I will come out tomorrow and look around your office some more, and you can fill us in on what type of space you're looking for," he explained.

"Great."

"We'll be looking for your input though, since it will be your office," Mr. Evans reminded her. "Bring your husband along as well, you can introduce him to the team."

Buffy's breath stopped, fear momentarily overtaking her. "I don't...he won't be able to make it," she lied. "He's always working during the daytime, and Mondays are never good for him, he's too busy."

"All right. Some other time then?"

"Of course," Buffy muttered.

"Well, now that this is settled, I'll call you tomorrow to set up an appointment, all right Mrs. Summers?" 

"That's fine."

"Welcome to the team," Mr. Evans announced. 

"Thanks," Buffy answered. "Good night."

After hanging up the phone, Buffy lowered her head into her hands, holding back the tears. She should have been overcome with joy that night. Her gallery was going to expand; finally, it would have the future that it was meant to have. 

Then why was she so miserable?

Oh yeah, now she remembered. _I'm leaving my husband._

~~~

__

Knock, knock.

"Hang on, I'm coming," Willow grouchily muttered, slouching towards the front door as she slowly tied the front of her bathrobe closed. 

__

Knock, knock, knock, knock, this time more frantically.

"Just a second," she called out, as she unlocked the deadbolt.

"Hey Will," Buffy greeted after Willow opened the door. "Can I come in?"

Willow's sleep-filled eyes shot open. _What is she doing here at this insane hour? _"Uh, sure thing, Buffy." She stood aside to allow Buffy pass through the door. "What are you doing here?"

Buffy dropped a couple of her smaller bags on the floor as she said, "I, uh, was just wondering if I could spend the night here?"

Willow nodded. "That's fine, you can use the guest room as long as you need it."

"Thanks." 

Willow had another hundred questions lined up to ask her friend, but as she saw Buffy slump towards the bedroom, Willow knew that this wasn't the night to interrogate her best friend. 

__

Tomorrow, she promised herself.

~~~

Willow didn't have a chance to ask Buffy why she had suddenly shown up outside her apartment at two in the morning. When she had woken up, Buffy had already left to go to her meeting with Mr. Evans and his associates. 

Later, that afternoon, Willow paced back and forth, her "resolve face" firmly set, to find out what was bothering Buffy. _Obviously something major must have happened between Spike and her, _Willow reasoned. _Otherwise, why else would she have just left him last night?_

The moment Buffy stepped through the front doorway, Willow walked up to her, asking, "Did you and Spike have a fight?" Her eyebrows were raised in curiosity as she asked her friend.

Buffy, who had just gotten back from her first meeting with Mr., Evans, resisted the urge to break down in tears when she heard her husband's name. "You could say that," she murmured at her friend before walking past her and heading towards the spare bedroom.

"Well, what happened?" Willow demanded to know, following Buffy through the hallway. "C'mon, Buffy...you two never fight, and if you do, you guys can usually forgive and forget what happened before dinner time."

"Will, I don't want to talk about it tonight," Buffy insisted, hoping that her friend would drop the subject. 

"No! Buffy, it's my job as your best friend, to know what's going on between you and your husband at all times," Willow joked. "I'm here to listen and help you out, Buff."

Buffy spun back around, tears of anger spilling down her cheeks. "I'm leaving him, all right? I signed a contract to move my gallery up to LA, only Spike refuses to come with me."

"What?" Willow gasped. "How could you--"

"*He* refused to agree to this," Buffy argued, trying to convince both her friend and herself that she was doing the right thing. "Anyway, I already told Mr. Evans that I would accept his offer."

"So, what does that mean, exactly?" Willow wanted to know.

"That means, that before the end of this month is out, I should be relocated to Los Angeles with a bigger gallery," Buffy explained. She softened her tone, adding, "And I'd love to have you with me, but I understand if you don't want to move to LA."

"Buffy, this isn't about whether I want to move to LA with you or not," Willow argued. "This is about *you* leaving *Spike*. He's the love of your life."

"Well, then I guess we were both wrong."

"About what?"

"Love isn't enough," Buffy sadly muttered. "There's work, and living, which you can't do by just love alone."

Willow frowned at her friend's mantra. "But aren't all those things pointless without love?" _I should know, shouldn't I? _Willow asked herself. Oz had left her a few months back and the redhead was still trying to recover from the painful break up.

Buffy's face tightened. "No, don't you try and talk me out of this, Will. I've already signed everything. Evans is going to start showing me around places in LA Wednesday."

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, Buffy," Willow assured her. "I'm your best friend, so I'll support whatever you decide to do, but...just think really carefully before things get so bad that you can't fix them, all right?"

"All right."

Willow had a strong feeling that her words had completely flown over Buffy's head and nothing had sunk in. "Fine. You're welcome to stay here as long as you want, but...whatever you do with the gallery, please keep me posted."

Buffy nodded. "I can do that," she promised.

The phone rang suddenly, and both women jumped at the sound, both on edge from their argument. "Do you want me to get that?" Buffy asked.

Willow walked up to the phone and glanced down at the Caller ID number. "It's Spike," she announced.

The blood drained from Buffy's face and she, too, glanced at the number. "Don't pick up," she told Willow. "Just...just let the machine get it."

"Okay," Willow reluctantly agreed, knowing that this wasn't going to help working out their relationship. 

After the fifth ring, the answering machine picked up and the two women stood around the phone, waiting to see if Spike left a message or not.

"Hey Red," Spike greeted after her recording had finished. "It's me."

Buffy fought back a sob that was building in the back of her throat at the sound of her husband's voice filled with despair and loss.

"I, uh, was looking for Buffy...wondering if you might have seen her around. If you do, uh, tell her that I *really* need to see her again, before...oh, bloody hell." Spike paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Anyway, if you see Buffy, could you please let her know I called? Thanks."

Willow glared at Buffy, cursing her friend's stubbornness. _If there's one thing I know about the two of them, it's that they're both so stubborn, that neither one of them will try to fix this. _"So, are you going to call him back?"

Buffy forcefully shook her head "no." "I can't, Will. I just...he's going to be--"

"Concerned? Worried? Afraid?" Willow shook her head, unable to comprehend why Buffy wasn't able to understand why she was wrong. "And why would your *husband* feel any of that towards you?"

"You just wouldn't understand, Will," Buffy insisted.

"I know. Okay, I understand that Oz left me, and so maybe I *don't* understand what you're going through, but...I know that you are tossing away something amazing with him," Willow spoke, trying her best to convince her friend to change her mind. "You don't just meet the love of your life in high school and throw it away five years later."

"Things change," Buffy insisted.

"So you're not going to call him?" Willow asked again.

"No, and that's final."

~~~

The end of Buffy's week in Sunnydale ended today, and Buffy was preparing to drive back to LA and get back to Angel, her devoted husband, before nightfall. Her bags were packed, her gas tank filled just hours ago, and now all she needed before she could drive back to Los Angeles was to get those damn papers signed.

__

Okay, here goes the last time I ever have to set foot in this apartment, I hope, Buffy thought as she approached Spike's front steps. She knocked on the front door several times, waiting for him to answer. 

When she got none, she foolishly realized that Spike was probably at the restaurant. If he wasn't at home, that's usually where she was able to find him when she needed to talk to him. 

Buffy hopped back into her convertible and drove to "The Silver Spoon," hoping to catching Spike when he had some free time. It was still very early in the morning and Buffy hoped that business wouldn't be too hectic yet. "Xander, is Spike here?" She asked the brown-haired man after she passed through the doorway. 

"Spike? I think he's back in the office," Xander suggested for her to look first. "Y'know, whatever you said to him that first day, put him in a bad mood around here ever since then."

"What's the point?" 

"Well, you aren't going to say anything...rash, are you?" He wondered aloud.

Buffy quickly smirked. "Why would I ever do that?" she teasingly asked before turning and heading for the back room where Spike was. 

"Spike, are you in here?" she called out, lightly knocking on the door as she pushed it open at the same time. 

Spike stared up at her from a seat behind his desk with a scowl on his features. "What do you want?" he demanded to know as he watched Buffy close the door behind her and take a seat in one of the chairs opposite his desk. "Love, you're sort of interrupting me at--"

"At a bad time, I know," Buffy finished his sentence for him. "Trust me, I remember all the work you have around here. Look, I just needed to let you know that your seven days are up. I am heading back to LA today, and I need those papers. Signed."

Spike shook his headand sighed. Rising from his desk, he moved to sit down in the chair besides Buffy, careful to conceal his feelings of love he felt from being that close to his blonde beauty again. "So, all those conversations we've had, everything that has happened between us, it still doesn't matter?"

"No."

Buffy's face was void of all emotion, and Spike couldn't tell whether she was truthful or merely trying to act brave to fool him.

"You're still going back to LA?" Spike had to be positive that she wasn't having any second thoughts. "Back to him?" 

"Yes."

Again, that deadpan expression crossed her features. 

Spike shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Y'know, contrary to popular belief, you *are* allowed to have both roots and wings," Spike told her. He moved the chair closer towards hers as he added with a smirk on his features, "Metaphorically speaking, of course."

"What is that suppose to mean, Spike?"

"Meaning that you can run a full-time business in LA and still be in Sunnydale," Spike explained. 

Buffy sighed. "But it's too complicated," Buffy protested. "I can't...lead a life here *and* Los Angeles and even pretend that I'd be able to stay sane."

"So come back home." Spike suggested, as if it were that simple.

Buffy shook her head as she straightened in her chair, moving her an inch closer towards her ex-husband, "This isn't home anymore, Spike." 

"We're together right now, love," Spike began, "That's home for me."

Buffy scowled and sighed. "What do you know about it?" she agressively demanded. 

"Home is where the heart is, pet," Spike honestly answered her. "That's what it feels like to me when I am with you, anyway."

__

He just doesn't understand...Buffy thought as she gazed into his clear blue eyes. _Or maybe it is myself that does not understand. _"Spike..." she sighed, lowering her head and tilting it towards him.

Quickly, and without thinking, Spike reached out and grabbed onto her shoulders and brought her against him, pressing her body tightly against his. He brought his lips down to hers and kissed her with a fiery passion that he hadn't dared tempt before. Buffy responded at once, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and returning the kiss with equal, if not more, hungering desire.

When he pulled away from the blonde, He gasped for a breath before speaking. "Go back to LA," he demanded. "Leave today...right *now*, because if you don't, I won't be able to let you go again."

Buffy rested her forehead against his chin as she let his words sink in. He wasn't sending her away out of anger; he was sending her away out of desperation and anguish. _He still wants me, _she realized. 

Buffy leaned forward and touched her lips with his once more. "The papers..." she whispered. "I need them."

Spike let out a groan and rose from his chair at such a force that it fell behind him. He stormed up to the desk and pulled the group of papers from a drawer. Spike grabbed a pen and scribbled his name on the pages before shoving them into her now shaking hands. "There." He growled, refusing to look at her straight in the eye. "Now, get out of town. You're good at that."

"Spike..." Buffy began, trying to apologize, start up another conversation, even spark another argument, just as long as they didn't part this way.

"Just. Go."

Buffy folded the papers and stuck them in her purse before standing and turning towards the door. She took a step forward before Spike's voice stopped her. "Just one question, love?"

Buffy froze, but did not turn around to face him. "And that would that be what?"

"It's been bothering me all this week, actually," Spike began, looking at her back since she refused to turn around and face him. "What *do* you want?" When he didn't receive an answer, Spike shook his head. "I guess I was right after all. You don't even know."

__

Answer him...tell him he's wrong! the logical part of Buffy's brain demanded. But instead, she silently walked out of his office, silently closing the door behind her.

****

~~~

"Well, that's it!" One of the uniformed men called out as he loaded the last box into the moving van. "Everything is secure. We shouldn't have anything move an inch from here to LA."

As Buffy had sworn, before the month was out, which was actually only a little bit longer than two weeks, she had chosen out a new home for her gallery in Los Angeles. Buffy had bought an apartment in LA. Willow was accepted into UCLA and would be nearby to continue working at the gallery once in Los Angeles.

"All right, ladies," Mr. Evans announced, as he approached Willow and Buffy. "Are you ready to visit Los Angeles and your new gallery?"

Willow cast a cold glare at Buffy, her anger of what Buffy was choosing to do, not fully settled yet. "I don't know. *Are* we ready, Buffy?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at Willow's snide remark. "Yes, we are ready."

Buffy approached her car and opened the door, preparing to climb into the driver's seat, when a head of bleached blonde hair caught her eye and forced her to stop. _Spike, _she thought, her breath suddenly catching in her throat. _So, he finally caught up to me._

Spike stood several feet away from her car, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. 

"What are you doing here?" Buffy softly asked as she slammed the car door.

"And a good afternoon to you, too, love," Spike sarcastically greeted. Today, however, his sarcasm didn't seem as harsh as it usually was. "I just...Willow told me what was going on, and--"

"*Willow* told you?" _I'll kill her, _Buffy angrily swore. _I'm going to *kill* her. _

Spike nodded, "So you're really going through with this, pet? You're really serious about doing this?"

Buffy raised her chin, trying to prove that his words meant nothing to her. "Yes. We're moving today. Willow is coming with me, as well since she'll be transferring to UCLA this fall."

"Well, then..." Spike's voice died off, not knowing what else to say. 

Buffy fiddled with her hands, twirling her wedding ring around her finger. Looking down at her hands, she pulled the gold and ruby ring off and held it out towards him. "Then, I guess you'll be wanting this back."

Spike shook his head, "No, keep it. I don't even want it if you're not the one wearing it."

Buffy blinked and lowered her head. _Damn him and his words, _she mentally cursed. "Then...then I guess that's it?" Without waiting for a reply from her now ex-husband, Buffy turned her back towards him and climbed into the driver's seat.

Spike watched her back out of the parking space and begin to follow the moving van. "I guess that's it, love," he muttered.

~~~

TBC...

Well, that's the last past scene...part 15 is all present day and part 16 (The epilogue) is pretty short :) Yay, almost done!

Also, my site, Sinister Attraction is back up at a temporary host until I can save up enough money to get my own domain. The new url is http://www.stuck-in-the-middle.com/sinister/** and when this story is over, make sure to check my member profile for when I get a new URL! Thanks!**


	16. Chapter 15

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Part 15

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Once again...un-beta-ed part...sorry for any errors!

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Buffy drove ten miles over the speed limit to return to Los Angeles as quickly as possible as she tried to forget all her memories of Spike that had resurfaced over the past week. _All right. Everything is all right, _she told herself. _I'm going back to LA. I have the papers signed, and I have Angel patiently waiting for me back *home*. LA is my *home.*  
  
_But was it really? Still?  
  
Seconds before she had left, Spike had told her, "Home is where the heart is, pet. That's what it feels like to me when I am with you, anyway."  
  
And hadn't she felt exactly like that when she was around him as well all during last week? 

__

Then why didn't I say anything?  
  
Buffy shook her head, ridding herself of that thought. She pressed down on the pedal, wanting to get as far away from Sunnydale as quickly as possible.  
  
_It doesn't matter,_ she told herself. _I'm going to go back to Angel where I can pretend like this past week never happened, and forget all about Spike in a matter of weeks. Everything will be fine.  
  
_"Everything will be fine," she swore aloud, needed to hear those words again.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Buffy unlocked the door to Angel's apartment and cautiously stepped inside, knocking on the door at the same time. "Knock, knock," she greeted. "Anyone home?"  
  
Angel quickly approached her and leaned down to lightly kiss her forehead. "Hey, Buff. You made it back home finally."  
  
Buffy forced herself to cheer up and smile at him. "Yeah, sorry I was gone so long, Angel. It won't happen again."  
  
Angel shook his head. "No problem," he assured her, a genuine grin on his features. "Did you have a good time? Catch up with all of your friends that you haven't seen for a while?"  
  
Buffy paused, taking a deep breath. "You could say that," she replied, trying to avoid the subject. Buffy sank into the plush, leather couch a second before Angel joined her.  
  
"Do you want dinner?" Angel questioned. He took her hands into his and lightly squeezed her fingers in a comforting manner. "We can order something and get it delivered."  
  
At that moment, Buffy couldn't help but think, _If I was at Spike's right now, he would fix me some of that chicken parmesan Alfredo that I loved so much_.  
  
_Ug! Stop thinking about him so much!_ Another part of her brain then demanded.  
  
"That'll be fine," Buffy agreed, shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever you want."  
  
"How about Chinese? Do you feel up for some Chinese?"

Again, Buffy indecisively moved her shoulders up and down. "That's fine, Angel. Whatever you want, okay?"

As Angel stood up and walked into the kitchen to call a restaurant, no doubt her favorite Chinese restaurant in the city, on the phone, Buffy reminisced about her previous life in Sunnydale with Spike. She remembered how he had made her feel whenever something bad had happened.  
  
Then, she thought about Sunnydale, the town, itself, and how Los Angeles was completely different than that quaint, peaceful town that she had grown up in. It's rhythm and beat were more than ten times slower compared to the busy city that she had reluctantly become accustomed to. Buffy had loved the quietness of the small town, especially the serenity of the park she and Spike had spent that one night in.  
  
Buffy gazed down at the large diamond ring on her finger, a frown appearing on her face. She twirled the ring around with her thumb, gazing at the object as if she didn't recognize it, or even *want* to recognize it anymore.   
  
She looked back at her right hand at the simply gold and ruby ring, Spike's wedding ring that he had given her years ago.   
  
And unexpectedly, she felt a strong yearning for Spike and could push it away no longer. She needed to feel his arms around her again; she longed to hear his thick British accent in her ears. Her mind, her heart...her *essence* was suddenly telling her to go back to him.  
  
_Get up, grab your bag, and go back to him, _a voice in her mind directed her. _Go back home to William, you know you want to._  
  
Angel slowly began walking back into the living room, taking a few seconds to pause and stare at his fiancée. He watched as Buffy twirled their engagement ring around up to the point where it looked as if it were going to fall off her finger. What hurt him most was, was that she seemed as if she didn't even care that it could fall off. _I should have known that this would happen,_ he regrettably thought with a saddened expression quickly forming on his face.   
  
"It's over, isn't it?"  
  
Buffy jumped on the couch and slid her ring back to where it originally lay. "What?"  
  
"You saw him, didn't you?" He asked as he began taking a few steps towards her.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she innocently asked while her mind was screaming, _How did he find out?!_  
  
"Him." Angel repeated. "Your...whatever he is to you now."  
  
"Angel, what are you talking about?"  
  
Angel softly sighed as he returned to his place on the couch. "Willow. She filled me in when I asked her what was keeping you in LA."  
  
"Willow did?" Buffy exclaimed, her eyes widening in anger. _Oh, I'm going to *kill* her when I see her next._  
  
"Don't be mad at her, Buffy," Angel gently ordered. "I think that I bugged her so much last week that she finally broke down and told me what happened between you and William just to get me off her back."  
  
"Oh," she murmured, lowering her eyes. _So, he knows everything now, I guess._  
  
"Did you see him?" Angel repeated after a pause lapsed between the two of them.  
  
"Yes, I did." Buffy truthfully answered. "He...I got him to sign the divorce papers--"  
  
"But you kept all of this a secret from me," Angel interrupted. "I didn't believe that you had kept all this a secret from me. You accepted my engagement while still being married to another man."

"But I--"

"God, Buffy, we aren't even married yet and, already, you were going to start things off with a lie."  
  
Buffy couldn't meet eyes with him as she softly apologized. "I'm sorry."  
  
Angel shook his head. "Don't be."  
  
Her head snapped up and she looked up at him in confusion. "What? Angel, you're suppose to be ticked off at me." When he didn't reply, she tried again. "Aren't you going to yell? You're suppose to yell some."  
  
"No. Buffy, I'm not mad. Honestly, I knew something was wrong ever since I called you and you were so upset about what you saw on ET," Angel explained. "I knew something was wrong right at that moment."  
  
"I really *am* sorry," Buffy repeated.  
  
Angel shook his head. "I'm not." He helped Buffy stand and lightly kissed her forehead. "Go to him, Buffy."  
  
Buffy cast him one last look, her eyes conveying more gratitude than words ever could have, before reaching down to pick up her purse and pull out her keys. Buffy pulled off her engagement ring and pressed it into Angel's open hand, before squeezing her small hand against his. "Thank you," she murmured.  
  
"Go on, now," Angel repeated once more.  
  
"Good bye, Angel," Buffy finally said, before turning for the door. Buffy slipped the ruby ring from her right to left hand, sliding it onto her ring finger as she opened the door and ran out to her car.  
  
_Hang on, baby, _she thought._ I'm coming home_.  
  
  
~~~

Buffy called Spike's number on her cell phone when she was less than ten minutes from his home and let the phone ring six times before ending the call. _Okay, so if he's not at home, I'll just try his usual hangout, _Buffy thought as she punched in the number for "The Silver Spoon."

"Hey, I was wondering if Spike Giles was available?" she asked the woman who picked up the phone.

"Sorry, mam, but he's not at the restaurant tonight," she answered. "Can I take a message?"

"No, no thank you," Buffy spoke. "Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"Well, you might want to check his apartment first and then see if he's visiting his father, if you know where he is, anyway," the woman suggested. "Other than that, I don't know where he is. He didn't say anything this evening, he just called this afternoon to say that he wasn't going to be coming in."

"All right. Thanks." Buffy paused before asking, "Is Xander Harris in, by any chance?"

"No, he's spending the evening with Ms. Chase," she replied. 

Buffy thanked the young woman once more before turning off her cell phone and tossing it in the passenger seat beside her. _All right, he's not at home, not at the restaurant..._

Buffy turned onto the main road that would take her into Sunnydale, planning to stop by Giles' home first and ask if Spike had stopped by or told them where he was. She needed to find him tonight.

As Buffy passed the familiar sign welcoming her back into the small town, all she could think was, _what the hell possessed Xander to start dating Cordelia Chase?!_

~~~

As Buffy pulled up along the sidewalk, she hoped that Rupert Giles hadn't moved to a new home. After all, she hadn't checked up on him even once in the last two years, with the one exception of seeing him at Sunnydale High last week. Nevertheless, she headed up to what she hoped was still Mr. Giles' house and rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to come and open the door. 

"Buffy!" Anya exclaimed, a bright smile appearing on her face when she opened the door. "How are you?"

"Great, and you?"

"I've never been happier," Anya admitted, obviously referring to the older man who was somewhere inside. "It's great to see you again."

Anya's bright attitude was contagious and soon, Buffy was smiling also. "You too," she agreed. Breaking eye contact with Anya, she took a second to sneak a glance or two back into the house, trying to catch a glimpse of a bleached-blonde head. 

"He's not here," Anya bluntly stated.

Buffy's eyes snapped back to meet Anya's. "What? Anya, what are..." At Anya's glare, she then asked, "How did you know?"

"Let's just call it woman's intuition," Anya began. "Spike hasn't been by all day. Did you check the restaurant?" Buffy nodded. "His home?" Again, the blonde nodded. "Maybe he went over to Xander's place for the evening?"

Buffy slowly nodded. "I guess I can check there next," she groaned. "Thanks, Anya."

"No problem."

The two women turned to leave, but Buffy quickly spun back around to address Anya one more time. "Anya? Let's just say that I moved my gallery back down to Sunnydale -- theoretically, and--"

"You're going to move back?" Anya interrupted, her eyes bulging. "That's great!"

Buffy quickly smiled. "Well...I'm not completely sure yet, but I was wondering, if I *was* going to move back, if you were interested in a job?" At Anya's confused and questioning look, she quickly continued, "It's just that, Willow is going to stay in LA to finish up school, and I know we've never been good friends, especially in high school while you were part of the Cordettes, but I'd really love to have someone I know helping me out still."

"Buffy, I'd love to help you out," Anya honestly said. 

Hearing that, Buffy's nerves vanished and she grinned. "Great. I'll call you and let you know what I decide, all right?"

"That's fine," Anya agreed. "Thanks, Buffy."

"No problem. Say 'hi' to Giles for me, okay?" Buffy cast her friend one more smile before turning around and heading back to her car.

~~~

Although she didn't want to interrupt his evening at home, Buffy needed to find out where Spike was. _So, if bugging his co-workers is the only way to find out where he is, then so be it, _Buffy thought as she pulled into Xander Harris' front driveway. A second later, she rang the doorbell and stepped back when she heard footsteps on the other side as she waited for the door to open.

Who she saw, however, wasn't whom she expected to see.

"Cordelia!" Buffy exclaimed, partly out of surprise and worry. "Uh...hi!"

The once brunette, whose hair had grown out past her waist and was now highlighted a dirty shade of blonde, warmly smiled at the woman standing in front of her. "Buffy Summers?! Oh my God, I haven't seen you in such a long time!"

__

Okay...this is weird. She's being nice to me, Buffy thought worriedly. _She must be up to something._ After all, the last memory she had of Cordelia Chase was her intense lip-lock with her ex-husband. "Uh...I know!" She stuttered. "How are you?"

"Fine, and you?" She answered.

"I've been better," Buffy honestly replied. "I was wondering if Xander was around? Someone at the restaurant said he was here."

"Yeah, he's around," Cordelia affirmed. She turned her head towards the stairs and shouted, "Xander Harris! Get your ass down here now!" 

"Coming!" the two women heard him reply.

"So what are you doing in Sunnyhell?" Cordy asked, turning her attention back towards Buffy. "Last I heard, you had left Spike and gone back to LA." She paused, before her eyes doubled in size. "Are you coming back down here? Are you and Spike going to get back together?"

Buffy nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unsure of openly talking to Cordelia about she and Spike. "I--I don't know yet," she managed to say. 

"Well, everyone wishes that you would come back home," Cordelia said. "Spike hasn't been the same ever since the day you left. I don't think I've ever seen him happier except the times when he was around you."

Buffy eyed the tall woman carefully, wondering if she was speaking honestly. "Do you really mean that?" she asked a second later. 

Cordelia smiled and nodded. "I guess after five years, it's about time we make some peace, don't you think? Bury the hatchet and all that?" At Buffy's slow nod, she continued. "Ever since you left, and he and I became friends again, I realized that there really was no one else for him but you. I really hope you two can make this work."

"I do too," she softly muttered. 

"And maybe someday, you can forgive me for being such a bitch in high school," Cordelia continued, looking hopeful at the idea of the two of them becoming friends.

Buffy was about to speak when Xander appeared in the doorway. "Xander! Have you seen Spike?" she quickly asked.

"What? No, Buff, I haven't seen him all day," Xander answered regretfully. "Did you check is father's?" Buffy nodded. "The restaurant? His apartment?" Buffy nodded at both of these options. 

Cordelia turned to speak to both Xander and Buffy. "You know what? I bet you anything that he's drowning his sorrows right about now," she suggested. "Did you check Willy's?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I didn't even think about that place." After all, he never did too much drinking back then in high school since they were underage. "Does he go there often?"

"After you left him? Yes," Cordelia honestly answered. 

"All right, I'll go there and check," Buffy said as she pulled her jacket tighter around her waist, momentarily exposing her left hand to Xander's eyes.

"Wait a second, where's the rock?" he questioned.

"Gone," Buffy softly answered. "I gave it back to him."

"Wha--"

"I need to go find Spike," Buffy interrupted Xander, not wanting to waste any more of her time to explain what she was doing. "Thank you for your help, you two." Buffy began turning around before adding, "And Cordelia? There's nothing to forgive."

~~~

As Buffy parked in the rundown, pothole filled parking lot outside of Willy's Bar, she heard thunder rumble nearby. Before climbing out of her car, Buffy pulled up the rooftop to her convertible, just in case it started to rain. After that, she headed inside the smoke-filled and beer-scented bar that she hated too much. 

Once inside, she paused and gazed around the room, looking for her husband's peroxide-dyed head of hair. _There he is,_ she thought when she spotted him at the end of the bar with a half-filled bottle of beer in his hand and three empty bottles placed in front of him. 

Buffy stormed over to him, a clear look of disapproval on her features. "Oh yeah, this is real mature, Spike," she sarcastically exclaimed as she stood beside him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

Spike cast a quick glance at her standing to his right before going back to his drink. "What are you doing here, love? I figured you'd be back in your rich, fancy apartment in LA cuddling up to the poof right about now."

"I..." Buffy began. Suddenly, the words she had thought were so easy to say became impossible to speak.

"Why are you here?" 

"I'm here to fix my mistakes," Buffy began.

Spike chuckled, his tone cold and uncaring. "What? Marrying me?" 

"Spike--" Buffy tried to speak, but was cut off.

"Did you really have to come back to Sunnyhell to rub the divorce in my face?"

"What? No!" she cried out defensively.

"Then what the hell are you doing back here? Haven't you done enough damage?!" Spike shouted. "Or do you feel like you need to rip out my heart just a little bit more?"

Buffy's jaw clenched. _If he's not even going to act mature about this, I don't even see why I should bother_, she thought. "Well, I can see that I made a mistake coming back down here," she said, trying to make her voice as steady and calm as possible. "I guess that I thought wrong." She turned on her heel and walked back to the door, quickly exiting and heading back towards her car. 

Overhead, the sky rumbled and a bolt of lightening lit up the sky before drops of rain began falling to the ground. Buffy increased her pace to a brisk run as she reached into her purse for her keys, blinking back tears that were falling down her cheeks and mixing with the rain. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed onto her arm, forcefully spinning her around. Buffy looked up through the downpour and met her hazel eyes with a pair of cold ice-blue orbs. 

"What the hell do you *want* from me?!" Spike forcefully demanded to know, shaking her back and forth. He blinked heavily, the raindrops getting into his eyes, as he stared down at the beautiful woman standing before him.   


Buffy shook off his hand and stepped back to look down in her purse. _Of course it has to rain during all of this, _she sarcastically thought as she quickly pulled out a folded group of papers. She unfolded them and showed them to Spike. 

"The divorce papers," Spike muttered, quickly becoming very sober. _So she really did just want to rub the divorce in my face._ But then he noticed that the rain was quickly smearing the pen ink on the first page, making their signatures unrecognizable. "Uh...love," he stared, unsure of the point she was trying to make. 

Then, he watched in even more astonishment, as she grabbed the papers in her two hands and ripped the papers in two. She repeated this motion a few more times, until the packet of papers were torn up shreds between her fingers. Buffy tossed them aside to the ground, where the water quickly began to carry them away. 

__

What the hell is she doing?

Buffy took a couple steps closer towards the man standing in front of her. _He's just...beautiful,_ she couldn't help but think as she looked at his drenched form. "Ask me again, Spike." She took another step towards him, having to force herself not to reach out and throw herself in his arms, spreading wet kisses all over his face. 

A confused expression crossed his face, as Spike wondered what she was referring to. _Ask what? _he thought, almost asking the question aloud. 

But then, he remembered. 

A smile flashed across his features as he asked, "What do you want, love?"

"You!" 

Buffy stepped out and flung herself into his arms. She wrapped her own tightly around his neck, her lips finding their way instinctively to his as, at the same time, she felt him run his hands down her side before resting against her hip bones. Spike showered kisses around her lips, moving down to her jaw, and then back up to her mouth. 

"God, I love you...love you so much, Buffy," Spike muttered breathlessly, pulling away from her for a second. He pressed a gentler kiss on her nose as he breathed her heavenly scent, now mixed with the rain, in. _God, I've missed you, _he thought. 

"I love you too, Spike." 

~~~

TBC...epilogue to follow!

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	17. Epilogue

****

Home is Where the Heart Is, Epilogue

By *~Rachel*~

For disclaimers, summary, notes, etc. please see the first chapter.

Well, this is it! The final (un-beta-ed) part! Thank you everyone for all of the support of my story, I didn't expect this great a reaction at all, so thank you! :) It means the world to me, it really does. Sorry for the long wait...RL problems...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Two weeks after that rainy night, Buffy had packed up and moved back home, dragging her gallery back with her. Amazingly, she managed to set up a new shop that was only three streets away from Spike's restaurant. 

Willow, Tara, and Oz remained in LA to finish school, but the three had promised to come back and help out in the summer and when their semesters were over. In the meantime, Buffy hired Anya to help out at the gallery, who was only too eager to earn some extra money.

Buffy moved back in with Spike in their old apartment, yet made him promise not to try and force her back into their old relationship without making some changes first. The two were taking it slow, and things were working out for the better. 

Nightly, the couple shared long talks about how to work out the challenges in their busy relationship and actually talk things out instead of bottling everything up inside of them until it burst like it had last time. After all, they had already missed enough time apart, and neither of them wanted a repeat of what happened as a result of their last argument.

Through their discussions, the pair had worked out a compromise for their hectic businesses. Spike had gone back to opening "The Silver Spoon" only Monday through Saturday, and Buffy had started to close her gallery a couple hours earlier than she used to. It had taken only two weeks, and Buffy and Spike were talking and acting as if the last two years had never happened and there were no secrets between the two of them any longer. 

~~~

  
  
Friday night, after she had closed up the gallery for the evening, Buffy walked over to Spike's restaurant and sat at the bar, watching her husband and best friend, Xander, work. Afterwards, after the last group had cleared out, Buffy helped clean off a few of the tables in the cafe area and throw away bits and pieces of trash. _This is gross, _she thought. _He seriously needs to hire some more help for closing time, and not let his wife clean up after his visitors. _

She picked up a salt and pepper shaker to wipe off the table underneath them when she noticed a small, black, velvet box resting behind the two shakers. "Spike, someone left this here," she called out, entering the main room where Spike was working.  
  
Spike turned to face her and curiously looked at the object in her hands. "Why don't you open it up, love?"   
  
Buffy did as he suggested and opened the box. Inside, rest a small three-diamond engagement ring. "Oh, how sad," Buffy exclaimed. "Some guy left his ring here. Poor guy...he'll propose to her and then won't have the ring with him."  
  
That was when she looked over the edge of the box and concentrated on what Spike was doing. When she focused on him, she noticed that he was kneeling on the floor in front of her. "What are you doing, Spike?"  
  
Nervously, Spike looked up at her with worry mixed with love in his eyes. "I know that it's only been a couple weeks, but...I wanted to do things right this time."  
  
Knowing what was going on, Buffy blinked back quickly surfacing tears and sent a shaky smile in his direction. "Spike, it was perfect the first time."  
  
"Buffy. I, uh, I love you. I've always loved you. Even through those years that...well, I know we've gotten over that. I've loved you since that very first day I saw you," Spike nervously stuttered. "Marry me."  
  
At once, the memory that he had asked her the exact same thing the first time appeared in her mind. Buffy's smile grew as she asked him, "Is that a request or a demand?"  
  
"C'mon, love," Spike began. "I know you--"  
  
"Yes," Buffy seriously told him. "Yes."  
  
Spike sighed, looking relieved that the pressure was finally off. "Oh, goodie." He stood up on his feet and slid their old ring off her ring finger and slowly placed the new wedding ring on her hand. "Maybe this time we can have an actual wedding -- not run off to Vegas this time."  
  
Buffy cracked a small smile as she looked at the sparkling ring on her finger. "Spike," Buffy whispered, before leaning up and kissing him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."

And then, continuing to mirror their first engagement, Spike picked her up and spun her around in a circle, pressing warm kisses against her face as their laughter rang out in the empty building.  
  
  
~~~  
  
  
Later that night, Buffy and Spike lay in bed with their arms wrapped around each other as they tried to drift off to sleep. Buffy slowly rolled over onto her side, causing her hipbone to unexpectedly hit something. At the foot of their bed, the television came on, immediately lighting up the dark room. Buffy jumped up and reached for the remote that she landed on to turn off the television before it woke up Spike.

Buffy glanced over at the alarm clock resting on the side of the bed blinking 12:05 AM before starting at the TV screen, and watching as the opening credits for ET came on. _Gotta love NBC for re-airing the night's ET._

__

I wonder if Angel has announced our break up yet? Buffy thought sarcastically as she listened to the announcer talk about what would be on tonight's show. She glanced down at her left hand resting on the bed and smiled as her new diamond ring glinted in the moonlight, thinking about how better this one looked on her finger as compared to the one she had quickly chosen with Angel.

Buffy tuned out the fast-paced talking announcer as she turned and looked down at her husband, sleeping at her side. Buffy smiled to herself and knew, without a doubt, that she had made the right choice. However, she quickly glanced back up at the television just in time to catch an image of Angel and a brown-haired woman whose back was towards the photographer flash across the screen.

__

Who is that? Buffy wondered, now wide-awake with curiosity. _Has he moved on *already*?_

"Angel O'Connor, the star of the upcoming movie, 'Confronting the Sun' is the topic for tonight's one of our two Cover Stories. Is he married? No longer married? Cheating? Or has he been merely dating this whole time and the news that he was engaged just a lie to fool the media? Find out after this commercial break."  
  
_What the hell is going on?_ Buffy asked as she turned the volume up a notch and waited for the show to come back on.  
  
Less than five minutes later, ET returned and began talking about her ex-fiancée. _Blah, blah, blah, _Buffy thought, clearly bored. _I already know all of this and more. _Then, the photo of Angel and the mysterious brunette appeared on the screen. _Who is that? _Buffy asked herself again, trying to think if she recognized the woman. 

"Angel O'Connor. It turns out that the news about his recent engagement was true, but sources are now saying that he's no longer taken." Someone that Buffy had never seen on ET before was explaining the entire story as past footage and images of Angel ran across the screen. "Regardless of this, however, why was it that five days ago, not even two weeks after he announced his engagement, that he was caught at the premiere of 'Take a Chance' entranced with this young brunette? 

"We finally managed to track down Angel O'Connor at the premiere of 'Take a Chance,' the upcoming New Line Cinema movie starring Reese Witherspoon, and this is what our cameras managed to catch. Maybe this explains the rumors of why he's no longer engaged?"

Buffy straightened in their bed and watched the screen, watching the camera shakily pan around the tall brown-haired man and the smaller brunette in his arms. The woman stepped back and smiled up at him, revealing her profile. 

__

Angel and...FAITH?! Buffy screamed in her mind. "That ho!" she cried out.   
  
At her side, Spike groggily awoke at the sound of his wife's angered tone. "What's wrong, love?" Spike called out, wrapping his arms around her tighter.  
  
"HER!" she shouted, pointing at the screen. "Faith making out with Angel at a premiere less than a week ago."

Spike slowly sat up and stared at the screen to see what Buffy was talking about. "Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_! Angel acted all prince-like and noble to let me go while he was secretly making time with his co-actress," Buffy complained, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief. "Unbelievable. And I actually bought his act."  
  
"And you are honestly surprised, pet?"  
  
Buffy let out an unlady-like snort. "Not the slightest. I knew there was a reason he was acting so calm and collected about me leaving him." She let out another string of unlady-like curses before turning the television off and throwing the remote to the other end of the bed in anger.  
  
She settled back in bed, stretching and turning to face her husband. "Oh well, I definitely got the better deal," Buffy said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder and lightly kissing him on the lips.  
  
"Is that right?"  
  
Buffy relaxed against his bare chest and pressed a kiss on his neck. "Oh yeah," she sighed before softly murmuring, "I love you, Spike."  
  
"I love you, too, Buffy," Spike immediately answered. _I'm never going to tire of hearing her say that. _

"I'm sorry I woke you," she apologized.

"It's all right, love," he assured her. "You sleepy?"

Buffy grinned and winked up at him. "Not anymore," she joked, pressing her body against his as the two met in a passionate kiss. Spike wrapped his arms around her waist, quickly turning her over on her back as his lips seared a path down her neck, her shoulders, and then back up to recapture her lips.

As the couple lost themselves within each other, the words that Spike had spoken to her quickly crossed Buffy's mind. _"Home is where the heart is, pet." _Well, if that was true, then Buffy definitely knew that she was back where she belonged -- home.

  
~~~  
  
  
OK, it was hokey, but it was happy, and I wanted a happy ending!

Thanks for all of the support and feedback throughout this story. I'm so glad you've enjoyed it (I've never written AU before). Thanks for all the people that helped me out (You all know who you are) and the people that stuck with me through the lack up updates and struggling writers block. Special thanks to Sandy for being a great beta for 80% of this story. :P

I am considering starting another AU fic...I've got an idea and some notes scribbled down on paper, and it's not based on a movie! So...keep an eye out for me, but don't expect anything for a week or so while I gather my thoughts.  
  
Thanks again! 

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